Atlantica No. 4, 2010, July-August - Iceland Review

On the FlyFurniBloom is a set of see-through gardenfurniture made from plexiglass. Thefurniture can be used for growingflowers and vegetables andthus becomes partof the garden.with lava rocks, topographic models and photos. At China’sShanghai Expo 2010, FurniBloom serves as the display unit forthe ‘New Nordic Landscapes’ exhibition, organized in conjunctionwith the Nordic lighthouse pavilion, as part of the jointpromotional effort between the Nordic countries. The entireexhibition square in front of the pavilion, with swan-inspiredsunshades, water canals and FurniBlooms is a Bjarnadóttirdesign.Chinese Expos, functional furniture sets, traditionalgardens—Bjarnadóttir’s breadth of projects is wide. ForDesignMarch 2010, the local annual design event, she decorateddowntown parking places with her trademark flowersin the ‘Park or park?’ event. “I wanted to make people thinkabout how we use our space, I wanted to wake them up a bit,”Bjarnadóttir explains, “but the projects that I love the mostare the projects where I can surprise people. I want to bringhappiness.”In the town of Hella, she shaped the children’s swimmingpool like a troll foot, yet the best landscape architectureaccording to Bjarnadóttir is less noticeable. “In the best places,you don’t really see it, but you feel good and enjoy yourself.”One must wonder, though, how it is to be a landscapearchitect in a country like Iceland, with its vast wildernessand stunted flora. “Oh, I could design in a desert!” Bjarnadóttirlaughs, “It’s not the material, it’s the imagination.” afurnibloom.com16 atlantica