Thomas Heatherwick
Encyclopedia
Thomas Heatherwick is an English
designer
known for innovative use of engineering
and materials in public monument
s and sculpture
s. He heads Heatherwick Studio, a design and architecture studio, which he founded in 1994.
, he went to Sevenoaks School
and then studied three dimensional design at Manchester Polytechnic
and at the Royal College of Art
, winning several prizes. Shortly after graduating from the Royal College of Art after a two-year furniture MA course in 1994, he was commissioned by Harvey Nichols
department store in Knightsbridge to design a temporary structure for the shop's facade. His design was a ribbon of laminated wood
that wound through the storefront windows. The design was widely acclaimed and won him a D&AD
yellow pencil (the gold award) in 1997.
He founded Thomas Heatherwick Studio (now called just Heatherwick Studio) in 1994 with his aim being "to bring architecture, design and sculpture together within a single practice". Originally based at Camden Mews, the studio moved to larger premises in Kings Cross
in 2000. It presently has a team of over sixty which includes architects, landscape architects, designers and engineers. Work is carried out from a combined studio and workshop where concept development, detailing, prototyping and small scale fabrication take place. The studio's work spans commercial and residential building projects, masterplanning and infrastructure schemes as well as high profile works of public art.
Heatherwick is a Senior Fellow and external examiner at the Royal College of Art
, a Senior Research Fellow at the Victoria & Albert Museum; a fellow of the Royal Academy
and was recently chosen to become a Royal Designer for Industry
. He has served on numerous judging and advisory panels and has given talks at various institutions including the RIBA
, Bartlett School of Architecture, the South Africa Design Indaba
conference, the Royal Academy
and TED2011.
In 2004 he curated an exhibition at the Design Museum
consisting of 1,000 "every day" design objects that he had collected.
at Shanghai, 2010 World Expo.
The New Bus for London for TFL
.
Extrusions, available from Haunch of Vensions.
The "East Beach Café
" is a building on Littlehampton Sea Front, West Sussex, UK created by Heatherwick. Commissioned in 2005 the large steel structure houses a café by daytime and restaurant in the evening. The concept allowed the steel to rust and the colours to develop over time before being fixed in a transparent oil. It won the 2008 RIBA
Award in the South East region.
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The B of the Bang
was a £1.42 million 56m-high sculpture of 180 giant spikes, erected outside the City of Manchester Stadium
to commemorate the 2002 Commonwealth Games
. Safety problems emerged soon after it was completed in 2004 when one spike was dislodged and eventually 22 more were removed as a safety measure. The object was rewelded and fenced off, but continued to cause concern and debate over its future. Finally Manchester City Council took legal action against Heatherwick studio and their subcontractors, who in November 2008 agreed to pay £1.7 million in damages. The installation was removed in 2009.
- his alma mater - on 21 July 2007 in recognition of his design work across a broad spectrum of architecture, engineering and public art, achieving national and international acclaim for his innovative use of materials, his eclectic range of projects, and the resolution of them in new and exciting ways.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
known for innovative use of engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and materials in public monument
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
s and sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s. He heads Heatherwick Studio, a design and architecture studio, which he founded in 1994.
Biography
Born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he went to Sevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School is an English coeducational independent school located in the town of Sevenoaks, Kent. It is the oldest lay school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432. Almost 1,000 day pupils and boarders attend, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years. There are approximately equal numbers of...
and then studied three dimensional design at Manchester Polytechnic
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
and at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
, winning several prizes. Shortly after graduating from the Royal College of Art after a two-year furniture MA course in 1994, he was commissioned by Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols, founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London. Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it sells many international brands of clothing for women and men, fashion accessories, beauty products, wine and food...
department store in Knightsbridge to design a temporary structure for the shop's facade. His design was a ribbon of laminated wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
that wound through the storefront windows. The design was widely acclaimed and won him a D&AD
D&AD
Design and Art Direction is a British educational charity which exists to promote excellence in design and advertising...
yellow pencil (the gold award) in 1997.
He founded Thomas Heatherwick Studio (now called just Heatherwick Studio) in 1994 with his aim being "to bring architecture, design and sculpture together within a single practice". Originally based at Camden Mews, the studio moved to larger premises in Kings Cross
Kings Cross, London
King's Cross is an area of London partly in the London Borough of Camden and partly in the London Borough of Islington. It is an inner-city district located 2.5 miles north of Charing Cross. The area formerly had a reputation for being a red light district and run-down. However, rapid regeneration...
in 2000. It presently has a team of over sixty which includes architects, landscape architects, designers and engineers. Work is carried out from a combined studio and workshop where concept development, detailing, prototyping and small scale fabrication take place. The studio's work spans commercial and residential building projects, masterplanning and infrastructure schemes as well as high profile works of public art.
Heatherwick is a Senior Fellow and external examiner at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
, a Senior Research Fellow at the Victoria & Albert Museum; a fellow of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
and was recently chosen to become a Royal Designer for Industry
Royal Designers for Industry
Royal Designer for Industry is a distinction established by the British Royal Society of Arts in 1936, to encourage a high standard of industrial design and enhance the status of designers. It is awarded to people who have achieved "sustained excellence in aesthetic and efficient design for...
. He has served on numerous judging and advisory panels and has given talks at various institutions including the RIBA
Riba
Riba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
, Bartlett School of Architecture, the South Africa Design Indaba
Indaba
An indaba is an important conference held by the izinDuna of the Zulu and Xhosa peoples of South Africa. These indabas may include only the izinDuna of a particular community or may be held with representatives of other communities.The term comes from a Zulu...
conference, the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
and TED2011.
In 2004 he curated an exhibition at the Design Museum
Design Museum
Design Museum is a museum by the River Thames near Tower Bridge in central London, England. The museum covers product, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design. It was founded in 1989 and claims to be the first museum of modern design...
consisting of 1,000 "every day" design objects that he had collected.
Key works
The Seed CathedralSeed Cathedral
The UK pavilion at Expo 2010, colloquially known as the Seed Cathedral, was a sculpture structure built by a nine member conglomeration of British business and government resources directed by designer Thomas Heatherwick...
at Shanghai, 2010 World Expo.
The New Bus for London for TFL
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
.
Extrusions, available from Haunch of Vensions.
The "East Beach Café
East Beach Cafe
East Beach Café is a cafe in Littlehampton, West Sussex. It is owned by Jane Wood and Sophie Murray, who commissioned designer Thomas Heatherwick to create an iconic building for the seaside town of Littlehampton...
" is a building on Littlehampton Sea Front, West Sussex, UK created by Heatherwick. Commissioned in 2005 the large steel structure houses a café by daytime and restaurant in the evening. The concept allowed the steel to rust and the colours to develop over time before being fixed in a transparent oil. It won the 2008 RIBA
Riba
Riba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
Award in the South East region.
B of the Bang
B of the Bang was a sculpture designed by Thomas Heatherwick, in Manchester, England, located next to the City of Manchester Stadium at Sportcity...
was a £1.42 million 56m-high sculpture of 180 giant spikes, erected outside the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
to commemorate the 2002 Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
. Safety problems emerged soon after it was completed in 2004 when one spike was dislodged and eventually 22 more were removed as a safety measure. The object was rewelded and fenced off, but continued to cause concern and debate over its future. Finally Manchester City Council took legal action against Heatherwick studio and their subcontractors, who in November 2008 agreed to pay £1.7 million in damages. The installation was removed in 2009.
Notable works
- Sculpted forms in laminated wood, Guastavino Restaurant, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- B of the BangB of the BangB of the Bang was a sculpture designed by Thomas Heatherwick, in Manchester, England, located next to the City of Manchester Stadium at Sportcity...
, ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... - Bleigiessen, Wellcome TrustWellcome TrustThe Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
, London - Blue CarpetBlue CarpetThe Blue Carpet is a piece of Public Art in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, designed by Thomas Heatherwick. Although classified as a piece of public art, it is closer to an urban design feature...
, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne - The Rolling BridgeThe Rolling BridgeThe Rolling Bridge is a type of curling movable bridge completed in 2004 as part of the Grand Union Canal office & retail development project at Paddington Basin, London...
(also known as "the curling bridge"), Paddington BasinPaddington BasinPaddington Basin is an area of Paddington, London named after the nearby canal basin.The junction of the Regent's Canal and the Grand Junction Canal is close to this point but the basin itself is the terminus of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Junction Canal. It was opened in 1801...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... - LongchampLongchamp (company)Longchamp is a French leather and luxury goods company.Longchamp was founded by Jean Cassegrain in 1948, and the company employed individual craftsmen dispersed throughout the Loire valley countryside to create leather coverings for pipes and other products geared toward smokers. By 1955, it had...
store in the SoHoSoHoSoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
district of New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... - Interior, Konstam Restaurant, Kings Cross, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
WC1 - Southorn PlaygroundSouthorn PlaygroundSouthorn Playground is a sports and recreational facility in the Wan Chai area of Hong Kong. It comprises a football field, four basketball courts, and a children's playground....
, Wan ChaiWan ChaiWan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called...
, Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... - "Zip Bag" handbag for Longchamp
- East Beach CafeEast Beach CafeEast Beach Café is a cafe in Littlehampton, West Sussex. It is owned by Jane Wood and Sophie Murray, who commissioned designer Thomas Heatherwick to create an iconic building for the seaside town of Littlehampton...
, LittlehamptonLittlehamptonLittlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester.... - Boiler Suit, Guy's Approaches, Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital, London
- Studios Complex at Aberystwyth Arts CentreAberystwyth Arts CentreAberystwyth Arts Centre is one of Wales' busiest and largest arts centres, based on Aberystwyth University's Penglais campus Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales...
, Aberystwyth University - Sitooterie II, Barnards Farm, West HorndonWest HorndonWest Horndon is a village in the south of the Brentwood borough of Essex on the boundary with Thurrock and in the East of England. It is located 20 miles east north-east of Charing Cross in London....
, Essex.
Awards
Thomas Heatherwick has been awarded honorary doctorates from four British universities – Sheffield Hallam, Brighton, Dundee and Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
- his alma mater - on 21 July 2007 in recognition of his design work across a broad spectrum of architecture, engineering and public art, achieving national and international acclaim for his innovative use of materials, his eclectic range of projects, and the resolution of them in new and exciting ways.
- Honorary Fellow of the RIBARibaRiba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
. - Senior Fellow at the Royal College of ArtRoyal College of ArtThe Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
. - D&ADD&ADDesign and Art Direction is a British educational charity which exists to promote excellence in design and advertising...
Yellow Pencil, (Gold Award) 1997. - He has won the Prince Philip Designers PrizePrince Philip Designers PrizeThe Prince Philip Designers Prize is an annual design recognition given by the Design Council and awarded by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who also chairs the judging panel. It is the longest running design award in the United Kingdom, having been started in 1959 as the Prize for Elegant Design...
and in 2006. - Tokyo Designers WeekTokyo Designers WeekTokyo Designers Week is an annual design event that takes place at Meiji Jingu Gaien in central Tokyo, Japan. The event features product design, interior design and has expanded to include art and graphic design as well as short films.-Location:...
, Designer of the year 2010. - Wallpaper* Magazine Designer of the year 2011.
External links
- Heatherwick Studio Official website
- Profile in Icon magazine
- Heatherwick and the Conran Collection in Icon magazine
- Profile in Art & Architecture - PDF
- Thomas Heatherwick at Sculpture.org.uk
- Profile in The Observer 26 September 2004
- East Beach Café
- Manchester Metropolitan University's Honorands
- Artist in plea on 'bang' future - BBC News story
- http://www.tdwa.com/award/
- Rolling Bridge in Frame and Form magazine
- Glass Bridge in Frame and Form magazine
- 17 minute video of a talk by Thomas about his work at TED