SKILLFULLY HANDCRAFTED / DRAWINGS
In May 2012, Sigmarsson was watching a report on the evening news about the Association of Icelandic Ports and its intention to refurbish the Reykjavík Harbour. Apparently, much of the jetty was to be removed and discarded. It occurred to him then that the wood might be recycled and used to make furniture. And this was the beginning of a brand new idea.
In autumn, a group headed by Sigmarsson obtained permission to take the wood being thrown away by the Reykjavík Harbour. He then began to dry and plane it in preparation for the project. He soon discovered that much of the material was perfect for what he had in mind, i.e. stylish handmade furniture. Aside from being environmentally friendly, this recycling was also a kind of resurrection. Way back in 1903, the very same material was used to construct a dock for the herring fleet, which later became a part of the Reykjavik Harbour that was constructed between 1913 and 1917. Closer examination revealed that some of the wood originally came from a German schooner that sank off the south coast of Iceland in 1890. The vessel was brought to Reykjavik and disassembled for scrap. Fascinatingly, research indicated that that the trees may have been more than 200 years old when they were first used for shipbuilding. The wood is pine, which can live anywhere from 100 to 1000 years. The oldest preserved pinewood dates back nearly five thousand years. The Romans commonly used pine and other conifer wood to build many of their houses. The recycled wood from the Harbour gives the furniture a characteristic look and holds part of Reykjavík’s history at the same time.
In August 2013, Sigmarsson established a private limited company for designing, building, creating furniture and art works. It was given the name 40,074KM, which is the length of the Equator. In September 2013, the new company established a website (www.40074km.is). Sigmarsson designed the visual appearance of the site, composed the copy, and supplied the photographs along with Aasa Charlotta, a Swedish photographer. The armchair, “The Gift of the Spirit,” was selected for The World Interiors’ News Annual Awards in 2013, an international competition in architecture which is a part of The World Architecture News. The award ceremony was held at the SAATCHI GALLERY in London November 28, 2013. The SAATCHI GALLERY is currently considered as one of ten most highly respected private galleries in the world. The World Architecture News (WAN) is one of the major international organisations in this field and is now the world’s leading supplier of news to the global architectural community. In December 2013 the armchair, “The Gift of the Spirit,” and desk, “SomethingRegal,” by Johann Sigmarsson were selected for the Design Award & Competition 2014 in Milan. In April 2014 the competition announced the armchair got Runner-up for A’Design Award and the desk is A’Design Winner.
Due to the interest that the furniture from the old Harbour of Reykjavík aroused, Sigmarsson was inspired to develop the project further in the environmental way. Making use of his contacts abroad, especially those in Germany, he acquired some old wood from the Port of Hamburg together with pieces from original L- and T – concrete elements of the Berlin border wall. When Sigmarsson applied for another historical materials from two other countries it was realised that the project had transformed into a new concept which is connecting history, environment, design and art together. He now plans to create art pieces from these materials in cooperation with international artists. The aim is to select a number of historic sites or structures worldwide and then to persuade the relevant authorities to help us create functional objects or art from materials related to the site. These projects are now collectively known as The Equator Memorial Project.
