Shellters

Product Line

Is it furniture design? Is it an installation?

Our Shellters are designed for children and their parents to retreat to a shell inspired by snails, sea shells and tortoises. They were developed in collaboration with biologists at Kópavogur Natural History Museum.

ÞYKJÓ’s designers explored ways to be an introvert in public, turning their attention to quality of sound, light and tactile sensory experiences. The SHELLters are built by innovative carpenters and artists Luis Castillo Nassur and Ögmundur Jónsson at IRMA Studio in Hafnafjörður Ísland.

They are made from Valchromat - an innovative product that combines the natural features of wood with the brightness of color. The fibres are individually impregnated with organic dyes, certified for children’s toys and furniture. The upholstery is Leaf Recycled wool, using salvaged yarns from the fashion industry. The collection is made with reconstituted wool from the Prato District, Italy, and has a limited impact on the environment.

The SHELLters envelope you like a cocoon - but allow for daylight to shine through and offer a view to the outside. They are an invitation to relax and offer serene calmness to a busy world.

The pieces were developed at Gerðarsafn Art Museum where the designers were artists in residency from January – May 2021. During their research period the designers collaborated with biologists at the Natural History Museum of Kópavogur, accessing their extensive collection of shells to study.

Conch Shell

The conch shell is a sophisticated natural phenomena. Gradually growing round and round spirally, one can read into its age in a similar way to a tree’s annual growth rings. We aimed to capture the contrast between its rough tactile surface on the outside and the smooth texture on the inside, while playing on layers, repetitions and patterns in our design.

Conch Shell

The conch shell is a sophisticated natural phenomena. Gradually growing round and round spirally, one can read into its age in a similar way to a tree’s annual growth rings. We aimed to capture the contrast between its rough tactile surface on the outside and the smooth texture on the inside, while playing on layers, repetitions and patterns in our design.

Snail

Snails have a soft and fragile body. They travel slowly but surely with their sheltering house on their back, a place to retreat into whenever necessary. ÞYKJÓ's Snail is a place to slow down and pull back into. The design aims to honour the simple elegance of the snail’s shell, with visible wood joints, an ode to ancient crafts.

Snail

Snails have a soft and fragile body. They travel slowly but surely with their sheltering house on their back, a place to retreat into whenever necessary. ÞYKJÓ's Snail is a place to slow down and pull back into. The design aims to honour the simple elegance of the snail’s shell, with visible wood joints, an ode to ancient crafts.

Sea Urchin

Sea urchins are covered in spikes, resembling a cactus floating in the sea. In our Sea Urchin we wanted to capture the quantity of these spikes by using over a hundred visible wooden joints. The orange woollen upholstery nods its head to the fragile animal living inside the protective blue shell.

Sea Urchin

Sea urchins are covered in spikes, resembling a cactus floating in the sea. In our Sea Urchin we wanted to capture the quantity of these spikes by using over a hundred visible wooden joints. The orange woollen upholstery nods its head to the fragile animal living inside the protective blue shell.

Crawling into a Shell

The work process was open to the public, mediated through an installation called ,,Crawling into a Shell” and guided tours for hundreds of school children, kindergarten groups and families. The designers organized workshops where children were introduced to model making in scale, taking inspiration from forms found in nature and experimenting with negative space as a sculptural element.

Crawling into a Shell

The work process was open to the public, mediated through an installation called ,,Crawling into a Shell” and guided tours for hundreds of school children, kindergarten groups and families. The designers organized workshops where children were introduced to model making in scale, taking inspiration from forms found in nature and experimenting with negative space as a sculptural element.

Shellters

Product Line

Is it furniture design? Is it an installation?

Our Shellters are designed for children and their parents to retreat to a shell inspired by snails, sea shells and tortoises. They were developed in collaboration with biologists at Kópavogur Natural History Museum.

ÞYKJÓ’s designers explored ways to be an introvert in public, turning their attention to quality of sound, light and tactile sensory experiences. The SHELLters are built by innovative carpenters and artists Luis Castillo Nassur and Ögmundur Jónsson at IRMA Studio in Hafnafjörður Ísland.

They are made from Valchromat - an innovative product that combines the natural features of wood with the brightness of color. The fibres are individually impregnated with organic dyes, certified for children’s toys and furniture. The upholstery is Leaf Recycled wool, using salvaged yarns from the fashion industry. The collection is made with reconstituted wool from the Prato District, Italy, and has a limited impact on the environment.

The SHELLters envelope you like a cocoon - but allow for daylight to shine through and offer a view to the outside. They are an invitation to relax and offer serene calmness to a busy world.

The pieces were developed at Gerðarsafn Art Museum where the designers were artists in residency from January – May 2021. During their research period the designers collaborated with biologists at the Natural History Museum of Kópavogur, accessing their extensive collection of shells to study.

Conch Shell

The conch shell is a sophisticated natural phenomena. Gradually growing round and round spirally, one can read into its age in a similar way to a tree’s annual growth rings. We aimed to capture the contrast between its rough tactile surface on the outside and the smooth texture on the inside, while playing on layers, repetitions and patterns in our design.

Conch Shell

The conch shell is a sophisticated natural phenomena. Gradually growing round and round spirally, one can read into its age in a similar way to a tree’s annual growth rings. We aimed to capture the contrast between its rough tactile surface on the outside and the smooth texture on the inside, while playing on layers, repetitions and patterns in our design.

Snail

Snails have a soft and fragile body. They travel slowly but surely with their sheltering house on their back, a place to retreat into whenever necessary. ÞYKJÓ's Snail is a place to slow down and pull back into. The design aims to honour the simple elegance of the snail’s shell, with visible wood joints, an ode to ancient crafts.

Snail

Snails have a soft and fragile body. They travel slowly but surely with their sheltering house on their back, a place to retreat into whenever necessary. ÞYKJÓ's Snail is a place to slow down and pull back into. The design aims to honour the simple elegance of the snail’s shell, with visible wood joints, an ode to ancient crafts.

Sea Urchin

Sea urchins are covered in spikes, resembling a cactus floating in the sea. In our Sea Urchin we wanted to capture the quantity of these spikes by using over a hundred visible wooden joints. The orange woollen upholstery nods its head to the fragile animal living inside the protective blue shell.

Sea Urchin

Sea urchins are covered in spikes, resembling a cactus floating in the sea. In our Sea Urchin we wanted to capture the quantity of these spikes by using over a hundred visible wooden joints. The orange woollen upholstery nods its head to the fragile animal living inside the protective blue shell.

Crawling into a Shell

The work process was open to the public, mediated through an installation called ,,Crawling into a Shell” and guided tours for hundreds of school children, kindergarten groups and families. The designers organized workshops where children were introduced to model making in scale, taking inspiration from forms found in nature and experimenting with negative space as a sculptural element.

Crawling into a Shell

The work process was open to the public, mediated through an installation called ,,Crawling into a Shell” and guided tours for hundreds of school children, kindergarten groups and families. The designers organized workshops where children were introduced to model making in scale, taking inspiration from forms found in nature and experimenting with negative space as a sculptural element.