Thomas Heatherwick Makes Another Mark on London

Architizer News

Thomas Heatherwick Makes Another Mark on London

August 9, 2012

All images courtesy of S3i

Thomas Heatherwick is well on his way to becoming a household name (well, almost), following the designer’s dazzling feat at the opening ceremonies for the on-going 2012 London Olympic Games. Heatherwick’s blazing Olympic Cauldron captivated nearly 900 million viewers and instantly garnered him international acclaim. Well, Heatherwick isn’t done with London 2012 quite yet. Greeting guests outside of the Victoria & Albert Museum is Heatherwick Studio’s latest venture, a hanging canopy constructed of 208 repurposed traffic cones.

The spiked sculpture was installed as a part of Heatherwick Studio’s “Designing the Extraordinary” exhibition, suspended over the Cromwell Road entrance of the South Kensington Museum. The site-specific installation was built in conjunction with S3i, a UK-based stainless steel solutions group whose frame and steel wire supports the structure. The cones, painted white, are arranged in parallel rows strung together with 6mm and 12mm stainless steel rope. Taut at the corners, the curving surface bugles at the center, with the draped stalactites pointing hazardously in all directions.

The hanging installation transforms into a chandelier that shimmers in the afternoon sunlight while also providing cover from London’s notoriously wet climate. The exhibit will end its run on September 30^th, so there’s still time to catch the show, which also explores other of Heatherwick Studios’ work, including a model of the 2012 Olympic Cauldron.