Thomas Heatherwick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Heatherwick
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2014 portrait of Heatherwick
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Thomas Alexander Heatherwick
17 February 1970 London, England
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Notable work
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| Honours | Commander of the British Empire |
Thomas Alexander Heatherwick (born February 17, 1970) is a famous English designer. He started his own design company, Heatherwick Studio, in London. He works with a big team of over 200 architects and designers. They create amazing buildings, objects, and spaces around the world.
Some of his most well-known projects include the UK pavilion at Expo 2010 (a giant "Seed Cathedral"), the special Olympic cauldron for the London 2012 Games, and the unique Vessel in New York City. He also designed the modern New Routemaster bus for London.
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About Thomas Heatherwick
Thomas Heatherwick was born in London. His mother was a jewelry designer, and his father was a musician. He went to schools that taught gardening and crafts, which helped him think creatively. He studied design at Manchester Polytechnic and furniture design at the Royal College of Art.
After finishing college in 1994, he started Heatherwick Studio. One of his first big projects was making a window display for a famous department store in London. He believes that all kinds of design, from furniture to buildings, are connected. He sees design as solving a puzzle or a mystery.
Cool Projects by Heatherwick Studio
The Rolling Bridge
In 2002, Heatherwick Studio designed a very special bridge called The Rolling Bridge in London. Instead of lifting up like most bridges, this one curls into a circle to let boats pass! It's made of steel and wood and looks like a giant snail shell when it's open. This clever design won an award in 2005.
B of the Bang Sculpture
In 2005, Heatherwick designed B of the Bang, a huge sculpture in Manchester. It was 56 meters (about 184 feet) tall and looked like 180 giant steel spikes pointing to the sky. It was built to celebrate the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Its name came from a quote about the burst of energy a runner has at the start of a race. Sadly, there were some problems with the spikes, and the sculpture had to be taken down in 2009.
East Beach Café
The East Beach Café in Littlehampton, England, was finished in 2007. It's a long, wavy building that looks like a seashell. Its outer walls are made of steel that was allowed to rust, giving it a unique, earthy color. This cool café won a national award for its design.
UK Pavilion at Expo 2010
One of Heatherwick Studio's most famous projects was the UK's pavilion for Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China. It was called the "Seed Cathedral." The building had 60,000 clear rods sticking out, and each rod held seeds from Kew Gardens' Millennium Seed Bank. It looked like a giant furry dandelion! The pavilion showed how nature and cities can work together. It won a gold medal for its amazing design.
The New Routemaster Bus
In 2010, Thomas Heatherwick was asked to design a new version of London's famous double-decker bus, the New Routemaster. This was the first bus designed specifically for London in over 50 years! It has a sleek, modern look with large windows and three doors for easy boarding. It's also a hybrid bus, which means it uses less fuel and is better for the environment. These buses started running in London in 2012.
London 2012 Olympic Cauldron
Heatherwick Studio designed the incredible Olympic cauldron for the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Instead of a single bowl, it was made of 204 copper "petals." Each petal was brought into the stadium by a child representing a country. Then, the petals rose up and joined together to form a giant flame, symbolizing all the nations coming together in peace. After the Games, each country was offered their petal as a souvenir.
Bombay Sapphire Distillery
Heatherwick Studio helped transform an old paper mill in Hampshire, England, into a gin distillery for Bombay Sapphire. They restored old buildings and added two amazing, curvy glasshouses. These glasshouses are home to the tropical and Mediterranean plants used to make the gin. The heat from the gin-making process helps keep the plants warm. This project won an award for being very eco-friendly.
The Learning Hub (The Hive)
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In Singapore, Heatherwick Studio designed the Learning Hub, also called The Hive, which opened in 2015. It's a unique building at Nanyang Technological University. Instead of normal classrooms, it has 12 rounded towers of tutorial rooms around a central space. The design helps students and teachers interact more easily. The concrete walls have cool patterns and drawings on them. It's a very modern and sustainable building.
Coal Drops Yard
Coal Drops Yard is a shopping and public space in London. Heatherwick Studio renovated two old buildings that were once used to store coal. The most striking part of the design is how the two roofs stretch towards each other and meet in the middle, creating a new upper level and a sheltered area below. This project helped bring new life to the King's Cross area.
Zeitz MOCAA Museum
Heatherwick Studio turned an old grain silo in Cape Town, South Africa, into the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA). This museum holds a huge collection of modern African art. The designers carved out galleries and a large central space from the silo's 42 concrete tubes. Light comes into the building from above through special glass panels, making the inside feel like a grand cathedral.
Vessel in New York City
In 2016, Heatherwick's design for the Vessel was revealed in New York City. It's a huge, climbable structure made of interlocking staircases. It has 2,500 steps and 154 flights of stairs, which is like climbing a 15-story building! The design was inspired by ancient Indian stepwells. It opened in 2019 and offers amazing views of the city.
Google Headquarters
Heatherwick Studio has also worked on designs for Google's new headquarters in California and London. For the London office, they designed a building nicknamed the 'landscraper' because it's very long and low. It even includes a roof garden!
1000 Trees
In Shanghai, China, Heatherwick started a project called 1,000 Trees. It's a mixed-use building with shops and offices, designed to look like two green mountains covered in trees. The design helps connect a nearby park with an arts district. It's a unique way to bring nature into a busy city.
Airo Car Concept
In 2021, Heatherwick unveiled a design for a special car called Airo. This electric car is designed to clean the air as it drives! It will have a special filter system to remove pollution. This project shows how design can help solve environmental problems.
Other Interesting Works
- Bleigiessen, a sculpture at the Wellcome Trust in London (2002)
- Blue Carpet, a public space in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne that looks like a rippling blue carpet (2002)
- Paternoster Vents, unique sculptures in London's Paternoster Square (2002)
- The interior design for the Longchamp store in New York City (2004)
- Spun, a fun chair that you can spin around in (2005)
- The facade and entrance for Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital in London (2007)
- Little Island, a park on a pier in New York City (2021)
Awards and Recognition
Thomas Heatherwick has won many awards for his designs. These include the Prince Philip Designers Prize (2006) and the London Design Medal (2010). His UK Pavilion at Expo 2010 won the RIBA Lubetkin Prize. He was also made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 for his contributions to design. He is recognized as one of the top designers in the world.
Images for kids
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Angel's Wings, part of the Paternoster Vents in London
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The Blue Carpet in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Heatherwick para niños
