This exhibition examines the astonishing range of Heatherwick Studio's practice by focusing on the design concepts behind early creations.
curated by Brooke Hod
(
Los Angeles
, CA)
—
This February, t
he Hammer Museum will
present
the West Coast debut of
Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heatherwick Studio
,
featur
ing
the
imaginative work of
British designer
Thomas
Heatherwick
and his
London
-‐
based
studio
. Heatherwick
is
known for
his
unique
design concepts
ranging from products
,
s
uch
as a
handbag
for Longcham
p, to large
-‐
scale structures
like
the
new
distillery for Bombay Sapphire Gin
O
n view at the Hammer from
February 20 to May 24, 2015
,
Provocations
will
feature a selection of
Heatherwick Studio
’s
projects through the display of
prototypes, large
-‐
scale models, objects,
photographs, and film and video footage
“
Provocations
is an extraordinary exhibition that
brings
the talent and versatility of Heatherwick Studio
to the
audiences of
Los Angeles
,”
remark
s Hammer director Ann Phi
lbin.
“This exhibition will be
an
eye
-‐
open
er
for many visitors at the Hammer who are able to take a close look at the British
designer’s
creative process and remarkable products and buildings.
Heatherwick Studio
, established in 1994,
is recognized for it
s highly inventive approach to
every
day
design
challenges
,
frequently
combining novel engineering with new materials and innovative
technology to create unusual, often sculptural, building forms. The project that first garnered
Heatherwick international re
cognition was the Rolling Bridge
which crosses London’s Grand Union Canal
near
Paddington Station. Asked to design a bridge to span
the
small channel through which boats pass,
Heatherwick
acknowledged
that most drawbridges are unattractive when raised.
His solution was to
create an
eight
-‐
part section of the bridge
using
hydraulic pistons
that eliminated the need for visible
cables and piers. The
bridge
’s unique motion,
which rolls
up into a circular snail
-‐
like form
,
continues to
attract crowds and
won t
he 2005 British Structural Steel
Thomas Heatherwick
, born in 1970,
has received international acclaim
in the design and architecture
community resulting in numerous accolades for his innovative work.
Named a
n
Honorary Fellow of the
Royal Institute
of British Architects
, RIBA
, Heatherwick has been awarded the Prince Philip Designers
Prize, was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry and received the RIBA’s Lubetkin Prize, the London
Design Medal
,
and a CBE for his contribution to the design
This exhibition
examines
the astonishing range of Heatherwick Studio’s practice by focusing on the
design concepts behind early
creations
such as the rotation
-‐
molded “Spun” chairs as well as current
large
public and private
architectural
work
in the U.
K
.
, South Africa, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, and China.
Included will be such projects as the U.K. Pavilion
—
known as the Seed Cathedral
—
at the 2010 World
Expo; a
Learning Hub for Nanyang Technological University;
and
a contemporary art museum created
within a
grain silo
Image: Heatherwick Studio - UK Pavilion, Shanghai World Expo, 2007–10. Photo: Iwan Baan.
Press Contact:
Nancy Lee, nlee@hammer.ucla.edu
Opening: 20 February 2015
Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles
Tue - Fri 11am to 8pm, Sat - Sun 11am to 5pm