He is behind a number of urban redevelopment projects.
These include Coal Drops Yard near King's Cross, and also a giant creation called 'The Vessel' at the recently opened Hudson Yards development in New York. Heatherwick has a studio near King's Cross and the developments that he has been involved in, which include the area's new Google HQ.
In 2019, I was also fortunate enough to visit New York and see and visit the Vessel which is very imposing and acts as a focal point for the development, which of course has not fared well during the lockdown.
“Many people are realising that they may hardly have to go anywhere ever again.” A consequence of that realisation – the conclusion of the enforced mass experiment of working and socialising and shopping from your kitchen table – will, he believes, cause “a lot of hard-nosed businessmen” to confront a question that has been fundamental to his own thinking ever since he set up in practice 27 years ago. “What might make people want to come to this place?”I wonder what cities will be like as they recover from the closures of retail, cultural and industrial spaces. Heatherwick has been involved in a lot of urban developments.
Check out the 1000 Trees development in Shanghai.
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