Meet Óðin, the blacksmith! Carrying the name of the ancient Germanic God, he has built his legacy through a lifetime of outstanding craftsmanship where metal is the dough he bakes with.
Járnsmiðja Óðins or “Odin´s metal workshop” is a family firm with the third generation of metallers carrying the kindle have been responsible for designing and constructing almost every physical metal installation Gagarin have produced.
Even though Gagarin is a studio which specializes in visual and interaction design, we have always strived to make our solutions tangible. The physical realm adds an essential dimension to the user experience. "Handling" things comes naturally to people and helps humans understand and memorize even the most abstract phenomena. However, the design and construction of physical structures and objects are not an in-house skillset at Gagarin, so this is something we gain by partnering with others.
Járnsmiðja Óðins (Óðinns’s metal workshop) is a family firm with three generations of blacksmiths wielding the fire. With twelve employees including Óðin, Auður his wife (CFO), daughter Kata (architect) and son Daníel (mechanic), they have been responsible for designing and constructing almost every physical metal installation we have produced. By the end of our design process, when we have come up with the most unimaginable ideas, we usually present these to team Óðinn, if only to have them confirm that they are indeeda "no-go zone".
Energy of the World is a tangible timeline that reviews the major milestones and discoveries in the history of electrical production. Designed by Gagarin/Tvihorf architects and produced by Járnsmiðja Óðins for the energy exhibition at Ljósafossstöð, one of Iceland’s oldest hydro stations.
Strangely enough, there has never been an idea we have fashioned out of imagination, that they have not been able to manifest in physical metal. This team has this invaluable quality of never seeing problems, but instead, brilliant solutions.
The Fiery Heart of Iceland: An exhibit showing the size of the Mantle plume relative to Iceland. The reconstruction is in accordance with measurements done by scientists who measured the phenomena. Designed by Gagarin/Basalt architechts for Lava Centre.
With twelve employees including Óðin, Auður his wife (CFO), daughter Kata (architect) and son Daníel (mechanic), they have been responsible for designing and constructing almost every physical metal installation Gagarin has produced.