A powerplant of ingenuity and craft!

As one of the first countries to fall in the economic crisis that still cast its shadows over us, Iceland now show that when everything goes bad something good always comes out of it. As recession hit Iceland with full power, everyday life of the Islanders changed. A young and target oriented generation has taken the opportunity to do things themselves. Reykjavik is filled with a positive and creative thinking supported by the new municipality. Toppstöðin stands as shining example of this.

In the old energy plant Toppstöðin Icelandic innovation and creativity thrives. The historic electrical plant - found in the valley Ellidaárdalur, in the Reykjavik outskirts - is a creative melting pot where designers and tradesmen share their experience and knowledge, resulting in a variety of innovative design. The creative centre Toppstöðin was founded as a reaction to the changed economic scene following the global recession in the fall of 2008. It is a non-profit organization and the city of Reykjavik contributes to the project with free rent of the building.

The aim is to bridge the gap often found between design and technical know-how, focusing especially on sustainable solutions and innovations. The goal is to support innovators to develop their ideas with minimal cost, and thereby increasing the possibilities of surviving through the initial phase. The station aims at educating and spreading awareness on the importance of variation, sustainability and quality. Innovators within Toppstöðins bring together a variety of knowledge, education and experiences. Each of them contributes to the stations society, whilst working on their own projects.

The station’s current operations take place in 600 m2 where 22 innovators have their offices, studios and production areas. This is only a small part of the building, which comprises an impressive 6400 m2 of unique industrial environment. The station now houses architects, designers, businesspeople, inventors, and manufacturers and hosts exhibitions, lectures, courses and workshops open to all interested in learning more about innovation, sustainability and design.