Established in 1994 by Thomas Heatherwick, the studio is a true multi-disciplinary space spanning architecture, furniture, engineering, sculpture and urban planning.
The exhibition truly captures the essence of the studio by juxtaposing a bus, a zip bag and chairs with models of cities, plans for buildings and experimentations. While the exhibition is only in one room, there is plenty to see with videos, prototypes, and finished products as well as photographs and explanations of projects past, current and in development.
Organised around themes: Control Systems, The Inspiration of Construction, Materiality, The Spontaneous Creation of Form, Engineering and Public Sculpture, The Workshop, Landscapes, Research and Development, Public Space ad Urban Planning, Collaboration and Partnerships, Architecture and Texture, Test Pieces and Christmas Cards (don’t ask) - the exhibition manages to fit in one small room a unbelievable amount of information and artefacts.
There is enough there to spend a good couple of hours wondering how a building can actually stand like that or how anyone would come up with such a weird and wonderful bag.
If you fancy checking out a multi-disciplinary studio in the near future, Heatherwick Studio at the V&A is definitely the exhibition for you.
Heatherwick Studio: Designing the extraordinary
31st May - 30th September 2012
Words: Sarah Kante