Thomas Heatherwick is renowned for his architecture and design, but he comes across to me as a thinker. Heatherwick elegantly strides the line between art and functionality, occasionally straying deeper into one than the other depending on the application. He has created definite displays like the 2012 London Olympics Cauldron and the Seed Cathedral for the UK Pavilion in Shanghai, but is often headhunted for more involved design projects such as the updated Routemaster – a modern and more efficient take on the classic London double-decker bus. All of these projects share something in common, their thoughtfulness. Such radical work is always likely to split opinion, but given the chance, Heatherwick’s explanations of the thought processes surrounding the designs are more than likely to draw you in.
To him, large buildings felt cold and without soul, and he became very aware of how similar the entire world was becoming in this respect due to globalisation. Structures were missing the depth and expression he saw in smaller entities like jewellery and musical instruments. This might sound like a gloomy and pessimistic outlook, but to see his creative output is to see how he channels these views into something astonishing. His ability to hone in on the tiniest details and realisations and use them to define massive projects is fundamental to his success.
Thomas has been called the Gaudí or even da Vinci of his time, but I see him more as a Willy Wonka type. The stunning aesthetics of his creations are weird and wonderful enough to make everyone stop and look, and though the fantastical shrink-rays and candy boats of the chocolate factory are far-fetched to say the least, the inner workings of Heatherwick’s designs never fail to impress. Under the hood, every aspect of every project is progressive in the sense that it centres on the state of the world both environmentally and culturally. It’s clear that through being an excessive thinker, Thomas’ design philosophy is so well-defined in his head that it comes naturally to him. At no point does any facet of his design work bypass or compromise his beliefs and responsibilities as a designer, which is why so many have put their faith in him and will continue to do so.
LWS Design Blog 