Architects Sigrún Sumarliðadóttir, Mark Smyth and Giambattista Zaccariotto, give us an insight into some of the highlights of the 15th Biennale of Architecture in Venice 2016. Globalisation has separated the general public from the perceived architectural elite. The role of the architect, in some cases, needs to broaden to look beyond the object (building) to the economical and social interventions required to better serve a community. One of the main emphasis of the curator Aravena this year is a focus of architectures role in improving the quality of daily life by improving the quality of the built environment and reconnecting with the users/citizens (what Aravena calls “the civil society”) that are often excluded from the process of its making. Improving the quality of daily life of people is a complex affair and the solution or intervention required can be a new physical object in the landscape but not necessarily, in other cases slight changes in the existing can be enough or even just encouraging changes in behaviour, breaking the vicious circle of the status quo/business as usual. Below are …

REPORTING FROM THE FRONT, was this year’s title for the Biennale of Architecture in Venice. The international exhibition opened on the 28. of May and was curated by architect and pritzker prizewinner Alejandro Aravena. Architects Sigrún Sumarliðadóttir, Mark Smyth and Giambattista Zaccariotto, visited the exhibition and gave us an insight into some of this years highlights. Traditional technologies where a recurring theme at this year’s Biennale; presented both as a source of knowledge and a mechanism for education – the creation of knowledge. This is nothing new, and one could argue that our existing architectural toolkit was discussed exhaustively at the previous biennale curated by Rem Koolhas. The difference we observed (and welcomed) this year was a conscious effort by a large number of the participants to illustrate how these tools where deployed successfully in their contemporary practice. One of our favourite contributions this year, came from Zhang Ke (Standard Architecture) of China. The presentation was particularly successful in explaining a solution to an urban problem, from the scale of the city through to a full-size prototype. He introduces …

In the third issue of HA, we embrace the anti-establishment, play with the rules and confidently face the future. Issue 3 features the most interesting new design introduced during DesignMarch. Summit co-founder Daniel Golling writes about the state of things in Icelandic design while Finnish design strategist Marco Steinberg looks at design in relation to politics – a topical view in the context of the political turmoil of our island in the past few months. Spark Design Space, the Iceland Academy of the Arts, Vík Prjónsdóttir and the Nordic mash-up project 1+1+1 are all included, too. HA is published both in Icelandic and in English by the Iceland Design Centre. It is available in Eymundsson bookstores, which are located in every major towns in Iceland, and in most Design stores in the Reykjavík area; Epal, Kraum, Hrím, Aurum, Reykjavík art museum, National Galley of Iceland and The National Museum of Iceland. We are proud to be stocked overseas atPapercut in Stockholm; Lokal in Helsinki and Kioskafe by Monocle in London. You can also order a …

DesignMarch 2016 in now in full motion. We talked with three designers and looked at what they have in store for us this year. We spoke with Bryja Þóra Guðnadóttir about her project Predictable Civil disobedience, Axel Hallkell Jóhannesson exhibition designer at Eldheimar, and Guðmund Úlfarsson typeface designer at Or Type. Predictable Civil disobedience Brynja Þóra Guðnadóttir was recently nominated for the Icelandic Innovation Award for her indoor garden for herbs based on water gel processed from brown algae. “The project started with my MA studies in design at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. I wanted to make growing herbs at home easier for people. I wanted to use locally based materials, and  decided to go with water gel to be able to maintain the oxygen in the water. That way, you would only need powder (with all the nutrients that a plant needs) in a bag, seeds and add water. It really could not be easier. The roots grow fast and are visible in the gel, which is interesting for children to watch. I am currently focusing on finding out what kind of …

Every year the DesignMarch festival in Reykjavík is ignited with big-name lectures at DesignTalks. There the world’s leading designers and design-thinkers share their wisdom and show us the innovative power of design. Jonathan Barnbrook, one of Britain’s most prominent graphic designers, is among those who will take the stage on DesignTalks this year. Barnbrook is a typeface designer and design activist best know for his collaboration with Adbusters and artist like David Bowie and Damien Hirst. We at HA-magazine wanted to warm him up a little before his visit to Iceland and asked him two questions: If one looks closely at David Bowie’s career it becomes obvious that he sought some inspiration in modern occultism and symbolism. This can both be heard in his lyrics and seen on his album covers. Can you tell us if there is any connection to this esoteric symbolism on the last four album covers you designed for Bowie?   Actually we talked more of emotionally how the music felt or the big universal themes. The covers I did are not just …

The program for DesignMarch 2016 is out and as expected this year will be a feast for design enthusiasts. HA recommends everybody to read thoroughly through the program and to make a good plan for the weekend ahead, 10-13. March.  Here is a link to the program of DesignMarch 2016 …and a few words from the DesignMarch team: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.“ said Paul Bennett, IDEO, who spoke at the very first DesignMarch, held in 2009 DesignMarch is a child of the financial crisis. We’ve used the time. It’s been fun. Educational and difficult at times. We’ve worked incredibly hard. We’ve designed, tested, researched, taken risks, joined forces, made mistakes, cried, tried again and laughed. Never given up. It takes time, after all, to change the ways in our industry, in our culture, in our society. It is time consuming to convince others that new questions, focuses and methods are the way forward. We designers and architects know new techniques and methodology. A tremendous amount of work, hours and energy by a number of designers and architects have …

From travel destinations to fishing industry, the controversial new national hospital and the Icelandic Design Awards 2015, in the second issue of HA we take an in-depth look at the best and most interesting stories in the Icelandic design and architecture industry today. We also speak to the Swiss Design Award winner Brynjar Sigurðarson about his quick rise to the top of the international design world. Katrin Olina Pétursdóttir tells about her new project Primitiva, and we speak to the look-a-likes behind the brand new sustainable fashion label Dobbelganger. We also feature our regular columns, including Words of Wisdom with advice from an Icelandic design heavy-weight, this time featuring ceramist Steinunn Marteinsdottir; View from a Distance in which FRAME editor Carmel McNamara looks at the Icelandic design scene and Inspirations, in which jewelry designer Erling Johannesson shares the influences behind his work. If you are a subscriber, the magazine should be delivered to your mailbox in the next few days. It will be available in Eymundsson bookstores all around Iceland and in most design shops in …