Unusual doorbells, coat racks and peepholes featured in the Hæ/Hi exhibition exploring the residential entryway during Iceland's annual DesignMarch festival.
Entitled Hæ/Hi Vol III: Welcome, the showcase in central Reykjavík featured designs that attempt to make the experience of entering or leaving the home more comforting.
Jón Helgi Hólmgeirsson created a collection of alternative doorbells
The exhibition was the third iteration of Hæ/Hi, a collaborative exhibition project between design studios in Iceland and Seattle, which is home to the largest Icelandic population in the US.
Exhibits included Ding Dong by Reykjavík designer Jón Helgi Hólmgeirsson, a trio of lo-fi alternatives to conventional and app-based doorbells.
A coat rack made from rope was designed by Thórunn Árnadóttir Designed by Hólmgeirsson for "parents with young children, for the hearing impaired, for dog owners and for those that simply want to be left alone", they are intended to elicit a more pleasant sensory experience when someone is at the door.
Instead of an electronic ringing sound, one flashes a light, one mechanically moves parts taken from a tambourine to make a jingling sound and one reminiscent of Richard Rogers' colourful air vents emits a steam signal.
Kom'inn/Comin' was devised as a way to elevate the experience of passing through doors
"I know I'm not the only one that had a lot of fun designing my pieces, having playfulness lead the way instead of some other m...