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Thomas Heatherwick awarded Honorary Fellowship by Goldsmiths, University of London

2016-07-05T10:47:00-04:00

Heatherwick who founded Heatherwick Studio in 1994 has been recognised for his 'innovative' contribution to the architecture and design field.

Writer and Goldsmiths lecturer Adam Mars-Jones, who will introduce Goldsmiths’ new Honorands to the stage over four graduation ceremonies this July, says:

“Thomas Heatherwick has a multi-disciplinary approach, a practice of looking
at things afresh and moving in unexpected directions, so that the resulting objects are both elegant design solutions and examples of lateral thinking made visible.”

His best known projects include the Olympic Cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic Games and the New Bus for London. In 2013 he was awarded a CBE for his services to design.

V&A East project update

2016-04-21T12:02:00-04:00

A key part of the V&A’s expanding family of sites dedicated to the past, present and future of the designed world, V&A East is a brand new civic space and cultural destination that will form part of the Olympic legacy project taking shape at Stratford Waterfront.

The seven-storey building is being designed by award-winning architectural practice O’Donnell-Tuomey and is part of the masterplan developed with Allies and Morrison for the new educational and cultural district in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London. At 18,000 sq metres, V&A East will sit directly opposite Zaha Hadid’s London Aquatics Centre and adjacent to a group of partners with which the V&A has great creative synergy: Sadler’s Wells, UAL’s London College of Fashion and UCL (University College London).

V&A East will be an entirely new kind of civic institution. At its core will be the ability and remit to respond quickly to current affairs, and to use objects, the V&A collection, collaborations and displays to in...

Utopian dreams; London's first Design Biennale reveals its opening theme

2016-03-25T13:11:00-04:00

London’s inaugural Design Biennale is set to open at Somerset House this September, based around the idea of Utopia to coincide with the venue’s year-long events programme. The biennale is headed up by London Design Festival director Ben Evans, biennale director Christopher Turner, former editor of Icon, and London Design Festival co-founder Sir John Sorrell. More than 30 countries are taking part in the event.

Representing the UK will be the design duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby best known for designing the London 2012 Olympic Games Torch and their work with Vitra. Their installation will be curated by London's Victoria and Albert Museum.