THE PROJECT

The fish factory in Stöðvarfjörður, once the heart of a thriving fishing industry, has stood empty for many years. It is now being transformed into an engine room for the creativity that we believe can regenerate and sustain our community. The factory will eventually house workshops, studio spaces, a museum, café, and market. It will even retain some of its original purpose by supporting the local fishing industry. These spaces will provide a hub for the creativity and industry of the local community and encourage an influx of new people and ideas.

We want to attract young people to live in the village, which has seen large-scale depopulation over the past decade, and to do this we need to show them there is a future for Stöðvarfjörður. Many other villages face the same challenges, so we hope the centre will also serve as a template for sustainable communities all over Iceland and worldwide.

This project was initiated by Mupimup, a design company based in Stöðvarfjörður, and it has already found international collaborators in students on the MA Communication Design course at Central Saint Martins, London. The students are excited by the chance to use design to support a community and help create a space for a sustainable future.