- 9
Thomas Heatherwick
Estimate
Estimate Upon Request
bidding is closed
Description
- Thomas Heatherwick
- PAVILION
- acrylic, wood and aluminium
- 400 by 610 by 340cm.
- 157 1/2 by 240 by 133 7/8 in.
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner in 1993
Exhibited
London, Islington, Business Design Centre, New Designers, 1993
Literature
Claire Shea & Kate Pratt (eds.), Cass Sculpture Foundation, Goodwood, 2012, illustrated in colour pp. 91 & 92
Claire Shea (ed.), Cass Sculpture Foundation, Ostfildern, 2012, illustrated in colour pp. 97 & 98
Thomas Heatherwick & Maisie Rowe, Thomas Heatherwick: Making, London, 2012, illustrated in colour pp. 33-37
Claire Shea (ed.), Cass Sculpture Foundation, Ostfildern, 2012, illustrated in colour pp. 97 & 98
Thomas Heatherwick & Maisie Rowe, Thomas Heatherwick: Making, London, 2012, illustrated in colour pp. 33-37
Catalogue Note
Pavilion, conceived and constructed during Heatherwick’s final year at Manchester Polytechnic, is an artful reinvention of the much beloved architectural concept – the folly. These fanciful edifices became extremely popular during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Architects and designers competed to produce buildings whose paramount concern was that of ornamentation rather than function. Nevertheless, the majority of follies subsequently became points of refuge from adverse weather or temporary lodges for luncheon parties. Heatherwick’s design performs both roles admirably, being both externally stunning and offering uninterrupted views of its setting from within.
This extraordinary building was built to challenge a perceived gap between architectural design and craftsmanship which Heatherwick discerned in traditional architectural training. He expressed concern that very few architects learnt or applied large scale building techniques, such as brick-laying or welding, during or after their degrees - a view which was initially met with little sympathy by his tutors, who remained dedicated to their scaled maquettes and models. Direct contact with materials are at the heart of Pavilion and informed its sweeping armature and elegant functionality. Gambling his whole final year on this one project, Heatherwick contacted numerous craftsmen, engineers and suppliers in order to learn as much about the process of manufacturing and construction as possible. The ideas gleaned from innumerable phone conversations, rushed meetings and patient instruction, enabled him to realise his own vision for a functional outdoor structure whose form was influenced by a derelict farm shed with a collapsing, distorted roof. Pavilion was the first, and most impactful, creation of Heatherwick's career and established his dedication to materials and design solutions upon which international reputation is founded.
This extraordinary building was built to challenge a perceived gap between architectural design and craftsmanship which Heatherwick discerned in traditional architectural training. He expressed concern that very few architects learnt or applied large scale building techniques, such as brick-laying or welding, during or after their degrees - a view which was initially met with little sympathy by his tutors, who remained dedicated to their scaled maquettes and models. Direct contact with materials are at the heart of Pavilion and informed its sweeping armature and elegant functionality. Gambling his whole final year on this one project, Heatherwick contacted numerous craftsmen, engineers and suppliers in order to learn as much about the process of manufacturing and construction as possible. The ideas gleaned from innumerable phone conversations, rushed meetings and patient instruction, enabled him to realise his own vision for a functional outdoor structure whose form was influenced by a derelict farm shed with a collapsing, distorted roof. Pavilion was the first, and most impactful, creation of Heatherwick's career and established his dedication to materials and design solutions upon which international reputation is founded.