istorical myth credits Archimedes with the
first eureka moment, that fabled epiphany
that accompanied his solving the problem
of measuring an irregular object’s volume. The
internationally acclaimed British designer Thomas
Heatherwick, on the other hand, subscribes to a
more Edisonian philosophy of genius, the one
percent inspiration/ninety-nine percent perspiration
equation. “For me and my team it isn’t an instance
of ‘eureka!’, jump out of the bath and run down
the street naked saying, ‘I’ve got it!,’” Heatherwick
says. “Each of our projects is quite a long process of
refinement, and to hunt down the simple notion of
the project. Our job is to distill—it’s that distillation
process I believe in so much…” The designer’s long
list of projects and triumphs evince an incredible
diversity, from the small-scale innovations of his
Zip Bag handbag and Spun Chair, to his 2012
Olympic Cauldron and redesigned double-decker
URBANSCAPERS
Thomas Heatherwick
London bus, to his otherworldly UK Pavilion for
2010’s Shanghai’s World Expo and beyond. And
now through January 4, 2015, the Nasher Sculpture
Center hosts Provocations: The Architecture and Design
of Heatherwick Studio, a comprehensive look at
Heatherwick’s groundbreaking work. It’s the latest
in the Nasher’s series of architecture and design
exhibitions, and cause for celebration.
Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heather wick
Studio is the first North American museum exhibition
of the designer’s oeuvre, and only the second ever—
the first was a 2012 retrospective at the Victoria
and Albert Museum. The Nasher show was in the
works for 2+ years, when Heatherwick visited the
museum as planning discussions began; his Studio
designed the exhibition. “It’s very different than the
Victoria and Albert Museum because it’s day-lit space,
and the space at the V&A didn’t have daylight,” he
enthuses. “One thing that I’m excited about with
