Event 2: "Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heatherwick Studios" at the Hammer Museum

Thomas Heatherwick’s exhibition Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heatherwick Studios at the Hammer Museum was incredible because the artwork was so diverse and different. The studio creates useable, everyday things such as consumer products, public and private architectural buildings and the like; but, it is their execution of their creations that set them apart. Heatherwick’s time studying at London’s Royal College of Art taught and inspired him to create pieces that are innovative and inventive. His studio is known for great diversity in their work, as far as style, materials, structure and content.





Heatherwick Studio’s architectural designs are far from ordinary. The “Learning Hub” (2011-14), on the left, features 56 rounded tutorial rooms to encourage collaborative learning at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The rounds are stacked around an open center, which is used as a place for student gatherings. Other parts of the building such gardens, terraces and rooftops are used for community activities. The “Rolling Bridge” (2002-04), on the right, screams innovative technology. This hydraulic bridge rolls up and down so that pedestrians can pass through as well as boats. The bridge is supported by an anchor, allowing the rolling motion to take place. This efficent art piece is significant because it combines British drawbridge tradition with new technology.





The Heatherwick Studio also creates unconventional pieces of furniture. “Spun” (2007-11) was created in light of Heatherwick's apprenticeship with a silversmith during college. The chair gets its circular rotation from a metal spinning technique. The exhibit included prototypes outside in the courtyard. They were made of foam, plywood, MDF, metal and plasticine. Surprisingly, there were extremely comfortable.

As an athlete, it was very cool to see a prototype of the Olympic Cauldron from the London 2012 Olympics. Heatherwick’s studio was asked to design the cauldron with a catch: each country was to be involved in the making and lighting of the cauldron to encourage collaboration and teamwork among all countries.

Because of the uniqueness of the art and the wide range of pieces, I highly recommend that other students attend this exhibit. The utilization of different materials, as well as the modern technological designs, to create this art expanded my thinking from the traditional structures and products I see day to day.