Children and city planning is nominated to the Icelandic Design Awards 2024
Children and city planning by the interdisciplinary design team Þykjó, is nominated as Project of the year to the Icelandic Design Awards 2024.
From the jury:
Children's imagination and creativity are an endless source of power — if they have the opportunity to unleash it. The project Children and city planning aims to give children a voice and mobilize these important people to influence real decision-making processes through their specialty — creativity and play.
The design team Þykjó captures their ideas and converts them into an action plan where their suggestions can become a reality. This project relies on courage and trust, as, unfortunately, we do not often listen to children’s opinions, even though we can clearly hear them. Similarly, we do not have a long tradition of taking ideas from children and young people seriously and communicating them respectfully in order for them to be implemented. In this project, Þykjó guides them to think practically, whether the topic is playgrounds or trash cans. However, playfulness and notions of belonging, nature, and beauty are always at the forefront because children wish for inclusion and a better world.
It is undoubtedly gratifying and sets a good example when design is used to empower communication and understanding. This was done when representatives for Ásbrú shared their dreams for the future with children and asked for their input during development plans for a new framework strategy for the municipality of Reykjanesbæ. Children and youth are an active and valuable part of society, and their views and needs should be considered.
About:
ÞYKJÓ is a multidisciplinary team of designers who work for children and their families in the field of experience design, installations and product design. Recent projects include the installation Hljóðhimnar in Harpa, the furniture collections SHELLters and Nests and the participation project Golden Record: Let's send music into space! ÞYKJÓ has been nominated for the Icelandic Design Award twice, in 2021 and 2022 and received a nomination for the international YAM award in 2023. ÞYKJÓ's Children's Council was founded in the summer of 2021 as an umbrella for all conversations and collaborations that the designers have with children. With the establishment of the Children's Council, ÞYKJÓ wants to honor the 12th and 13th articles of the Children's Convention, which deal with respect for children's opinions.
ÞYKJÓ was founded in 2019 by creative director Sigríður Sunna Reynisdóttir. Together with her, architects and designers from different fields work together in multidisciplinary teamwork. In addition to Sigríða Sunnu, Erla Ólafsdóttir, Embla Vigfúsdóttir, Ívar Björnsson and Sigurbjörg Stefánsdóttir worked on this project.
The Icelandic Design Awards will take place in Gróska on November 7th - save the date!
The Icelandic Design Award honours the best Icelandic design and architecture. The importance of design in our society, culture and business has been growing steadily, and it is therefore vital to increase the understanding of good design and highlight the value of quality.
The Icelandic Design Award is awarded in three categories: Product // Place // Project. In addition, the Icelandic Design Awards also include Honorary award and Recognition for the best investment in design.
The Icelandic Design Award is established by Iceland Design and Architecture in collaboration with the Iceland University of the Arts, the Museum of Design and Applied Art, Promote Iceland, The Housing and Construction Authorities of Iceland, SI - the Federation of Icelandic Industries, The University of Iceland Science Park and Gróska.
