Iceland is a sparsely populated country that is famed for its dramatic landscapes, active volcanoes, and geothermal waters. Its design history, however, is less well known than that of its fellow Nordics.

Nonetheless – the country boasts an active network of creatives, working across textiles, furniture, fashion and architecture – many of whom are profiled during the Icelandic design festival “DesignMarch”.

Ran by the government-funded “Iceland Design and Architecture” organisation, which was established in 2008 in a bid to bolster the country’s creative reputation to the wider world, the festival took place in May this year – bringing with it a full-to-the-brim talks programme featuring international speakers. Outside of this, venues across Reykjavík were populated with design projects – some speculative, some commercial, ranging from a knitted pizza cafe to presentations from 66°North.

A key stop on the schedule is the Museum of Design and Applied Art, which is headed up by Sigríður Sigurjónsdóttir. Sigurjónsdóttir was part of a curatorial team that has pulled together iconic designs from her home country, in order to showcase them in the museum and put them on the world’s stage. Here, she tells us more about 10 pieces you should know:

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Delirium Tremens wine rack

Ólafur Þórðarson, 1997

This playful design by Ólafur Þórðarson is typical of his approach. Crafted from polyurethane, no two pieces are the same, and each wine rack is numbered.

“[His designs] are usually characterized by high spirits and playfulness but their uniqueness is primarily found in Ólafur’s bold approach: to step outside the box, beyond traditional paradigms whilst pushing the aesthetics to allow for experimental executions that shift over to an applicable object,” Sigurjónsdóttir adds.

Stóll í kassa/Chair in a Box

Tinna Gunnarsdóttir and Karen Chekerdjian, 2001

Chair in a box plays with the relation between the object and its image and how an image has the power to give an object a new meaning. Designers Tinna Gunnarsdóttir and Karen Chekerdijan collaborated remotely between Reykjavík and Beirut on the project, communicating only through emails. “They were impressed with how all their thinking, drawings and words were totally transformed into images, and grew obsessed by the power of the image on reality,” Sigurjónsdóttir said. This then became the final product: famous chair images were printed on simple boxes.

Spíra sofa

Þorkell G. Guðmundsson, 1965

In Icelandic, spíra means “to sprout”. As such, Guðmundsson named this design in reference to it “sprouting” in either direction – its sides are folded down and the sofa becomes a bed. According to the museum, it’s a staple item in many teen bedrooms inside Icelandic homes.

“Designer Þorkell Guðmundsson also designed the prominent wool fabric for the sofa, which was produced in various colors for a number of years,” Sigurjónsdóttir added. “He also patented the design that allows the user to change the sofa into a bed.”

Sóley chair

Valdimar Harðarson,1983

The foldable Sóley chair is designed with utility at is core. It features a clever sliding system in which the steel legs fold on a track on the rear bar – making it a huge hit all over the world, until it was discontinued in 2003. However, after high demand, the Sóley chair went back into production a decade later.

Orion chair

Pétur B. Lúthersson, 1999

The Orion chair is an aluminium garden chair, designed by Pétur B. Luthersson. Crafted from a single material, the design tells the tale of Luthersson’s appreciation for craft, with details across its backrest and seat. “Pétur regards himself first and foremost as a craftsman,” Sigurjónsdóttir said. “The Orion chair was produced very late in Pétur’s career and he himself has stated that it wasn’t until he was well into his 60s that he finally mastered the basics of chair design and had a firm idea of what he truly wanted to achieve with his designs.”

Apollo chair

Gunnar Magnússon, 1969

The Apollo chair references the space age – making it no surprise that it became revered in the 1970s. Centered around a circular seat, the chair sees curving wooden panels form the structure, described by Sigurjónsdóttir as an “experiment with geometric forms”.

“The form, texture and colors were innovative, in a pop culture spirit, and intended for the young and progressive,” she adds.

Rock n Roll chair

Sigurður Gústafsson, 1998

The Rock n Roll chair was designed in 1999, and was limited to 99 pieces. The entire chair is crafted without screws or glue, in a bid to test the resilience and abilities of different materials when shaped in certain ways. Inspiration for this piece in particular came from the De Stijl and Russian Constructivists movements, but also the designer’s desire to breathe new life into a well-known object. “His purpose of this work is not to come up with a new style or movement, but to focus on the idea and noticing how hidden ideas and treasures are all around us, waiting for revelation,” Sigurjónsdóttir added.

Out of (Red) Line cabinet

Ólafur Þórðarson, 1992

Ólafur Þórðarson’s unique approach to furniture design is particularly evident in the Out of (Red) Line shelves. Here, Ólafur repurposes ready-made materials, assembling them to embody a specific vision. The raw, unsanded surfaces of these shelves challenge conventional notions of finished products, presenting instead as thoughtful constructions. Ólafur’s work delves into the tension between the mass production of uniform objects and the spontaneous, varied application of color that ensures each piece is one-of-a-kind.

Date chair

Manfreð Vilhjálmsson

The Date chair, designed by architect Manfreð Vilhjálmsson, has a unique S-like shape, designed for two people to sit opposite each other, initiating close conversations. An eye-catching element on the chair are the yellow tennis-balls placed on each armrest, which were inspired the designer’s friend and long time collaborator Dieter Roth. There is only one of these chairs in existence, as it was not intended as an object for production but rather as a representation of an idea.

Zig Zag shelving

Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, 2006

Designer Dögg Guðmundsdóttir combines traditional materials and craft methods with techniques from industrial production, creating objects with high contrast and originality. Her designs exist amidst form and function, sculptural yet utilitarian, while still belonging within unified collections. The Zigzag shelve was inspired by the Belavista skyline and made for the Sant Etienne Design Festival in 2002. As a multifunctional piece of furniture it serves as both a bench as well as a shelf, and multiple Zig Zag pieces can be paired together to further vary the usability.