HEATHERWICK STUDIO: BUILDING SOULFULNESSPress Release VOL.1

DECEMBER 19, 2022

HEATHERWICK STUDIO:BUILDING SOULFULNESSMARCH 17 [FRI] - JUNE 4 [SUN], 2023

TOKYO CITY VIEW [52F, ROPPONGI HILLS MORI TOWER]

THE FIRST TIME EVER IN JAPAN: EXHIBITION FEATURING 28 KEY PROJECTS BY
HEATHERWICK STUDIO, ONE OF THE MOST CLOSELY-WATCHED DESIGN TEAMS IN THE WORLD!
The Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, is proud to present Heatherwick Studio: Building Soulfulness from Friday,March 17 to Sunday, June 4, 2023, at Tokyo City View (indoor observation deck).
Established in 1994 in London, Heatherwick Studio has undertaken innovative projects in many
cities including New York, Singapore, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, evolving to become one of the mostclosely-watched design teams in the world. Founder Thomas Heatherwick (born 1970 in UK) recounts
how he would often find himself moved during his childhood by the “ soulfulness ” of small things thatwere made by craftspeople and artisans. Can the sprawling buildings and urban spaces that make our cities
and towns also be imbued with this soulfulness? This is a question that often forms the starting points
for a project at Heatherwick Studio. Every design is rooted in a belief that even projects as large as acity can have a human-scale, while harnessing the energies of the natural world and memories contained
within architecture into new designs. At the core of this approach is the creation of places for gathering,
dialogue, recreation, and enjoyment, instead of the design of “ hard ” elements that so often characterize
products and buildings. Even as the Studio studies the history of objects and places, researches a wide
spectrum of materials, and pays homage to traditional craftsmanship, their spaces, which deploy the latest
developments in engineering, are replete with innovative ideas that seem to have eluded everyone else. Asthe world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and we re-evaluate our relationship with both the built
and the natural environments, Heatherwick Studio’s designs feel more evocative and relevant than ever.
This exhibition is the first one in Japan to showcase twenty-eight major projects of Heatherwick
Studio. By looking at the projects - all of which are the result of a process of trial and error, where familiar
structures and functions are reassessed, and new ideas are realized - from six different viewpoints: “ComingTogether;” “Connecting with Everyone;” “Experiencing Sculptural Space;” “Feeling Nature in Urban Space;”“B r i n g i n g M e m o r i e s t o t h e
Future; ” and “ Playing and Using,”
the exhibition will explore what
type of architecture brings withit the sort of kindness, beauty,
intellectual stimulation andempathy that move the humanheart.

Little Island
2021
New York
Photo: Timothy Schenckpress release Inquiries: Heatherwick Studio: Building Soulfulness Public Relations Office [within Kyodo PR]

Tel: +81-(0)80-2032-4674 (Ms. Kunitoki) / +81-(0)70-4303-7215 (Mr. Nakai) E-mail: hs-pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp

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HEATHERWICK STUDIO: BUILDING SOULFULNESS

Press Release VOL.1

DECEMBER 19, 2022

年 月 日 ｜金｜317│

東京シティビュー﹇六本 木ヒルズ森タワー 階﹈

6月 日 ｜日｜Tokyo City View (52F, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower)

March 17｜FRI｜─June 4｜SUN｜2023

Students (University/High School)

5220234

上から｜From above:¥ 2,000© DBox for Mori Building Co., Ltd.

AdultsShanghai Expo UK Pavilion｜2010｜Photo: Iwan BaanOnline《上海万博英国館》｜2010 年On-Site《リトル・アイランド》｜2021年｜ニューヨーク
Little Island｜2021｜New York｜Photo: Timothy Schenck［Weekdays］

Admission:《麻布台ヒルズ／低層部》｜2023年（竣工予定）｜東京
Azabudai Hills / Lower Levels｜2023 (expected)｜Tokyo

Exhibition Title: Heatherwick Studio: Building Soulfulness
Organizer: Mori Art Museum
Corporate Sponsors: OBAYASHI CORPORATION, SHIMIZU CORPORATION,SUMITOMO MITSUI CONSTRUCTION CO.,LTD., Arup, NIHON SEKKEI, INC.,
NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD, YAMASHITA SEKKEI INC., ASAMI Electric Corporation,
FUJITEC CO., LTD., KANDENKO CO., LTD., KINDEN CORPORATION,KYUDENKO CORPORATION, SAIKYU KOGYO CO., LTD.,SANKEN SETSUBI KOGYO CO., LTD., SANKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.,
Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., Ltd.,
Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation, YUDENSHA CO., LTD.
Curated by: Kataoka Mami (Director, Mori Art Museum)
Exhibition Period: March 17 [Fri] - June 4 [Sun], 2023
Venue: Tokyo City View [52F, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo]
Hours: 10:00-22:00 (Last Admission: 21:00) * Open every day.

www.mori.art.museum

General Information［Sat., Sun. & Holidays］
On-SiteOnline¥ 1,800¥ 2,200¥ 2,000¥ 1,400¥ 1,300¥ 1,500¥ 1,400

Children (Age 4 through Junior High School)

¥ 800

¥ 700

¥ 900

¥ 800

Seniors (Ages 65 and over)¥ 1,700¥ 1,500¥ 1,900¥ 1,700* It is encouraged to make advance booking for a designated date/time slot and purchase the admission ticket on thebooking website.
* Admissions without advance bookings will be allowed so far as the time slots have not ﬁlled up on the day of your visit.
* You will be admitted to Mori Art Museum (53F, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower) by adding to the Heatherwick Studio
exhibition admission ¥500 across the board.
* Those who with an admission ticket to the Mori Art Museum will be admitted to Heatherwick Studio exhibition (TokyoCity View) by adding ¥700 across the board.
* Additionally, just for a limited period from Friday, March 17 to Sunday, March 26, 2023, Heatherwick Studio + Roppongi
Crossing 2022 (exhibition on view at the Mori Art Museum) combo tickets, however Weekdays/Online ONLY, will be onsale. Adults: ¥2,200 / Students (University/High School): ¥1,700 / Children (Age 4 up to Junior High School): ¥1,100 /Seniors (Ages 65 and over): ¥1,900* All prices include tax.
* Admissions to Mori Arts Center Gallery, and Sky Deck (rooftop observation deck) are separate.
General Inquiries: 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial, within Japan) / +81-(0)47-316-2772 (Hello Dial, from overseas)www.mori.art.museum/en

The latest exhibition press images are available on our website for downloads:
https://tayori.com/f/heatherwick-en/press release Inquiries: Heatherwick Studio: Building Soulfulness Public Relations Office [within Kyodo PR]

Tel: +81-(0)80-2032-4674 (Ms. Kunitoki) / +81-(0)70-4303-7215 (Mr. Nakai) E-mail: hs-pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp

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HEATHERWICK STUDIO: BUILDING SOULFULNESSPress Release VOL.1

DECEMBER 19, 2022

Thomas HeatherwickFounder, Heatherwick Studio
Thomas Heatherwick is one of the UK’s most proliﬁc designers, whose varied work over two decades
is characterized by its originality, inventiveness and humanity. Defying conventional classifications,Thomas founded his studio in 1994 to bring together architecture, urban planning, productdesign and interiors into a single creative workspace. Working across multiple scales, locations
and typologies, Heatherwick Studio has developed into a team of 200 makers and inventors withno signature style. Led by human experience rather than any fixed dogma, the Studio creates
emotionally compelling places and objects with the smallest possible climate shadow.
From their base in London, the Studio team is currently working on over thirty projects in tencountries, including Azabudai Hills / Lower Levels , a six-hectare mixed-use development in the centerof Tokyo, the new headquarters for Google in London (in collaboration with Bjarke Ingels Group)and Airo , an electric car that cleans the air as it drives.
The Studio has also recently completed Google Bay View , Google ’s first ground-up campus;
Little Island , a park and performance space on the Hudson River in New York; The Zeitz Museumof Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MoCAA ) in Cape Town; and Coal Drops Yard , a major new retail
district in King’s Cross, London. Thomas ’ forthcoming book, Humanise , will be published by Penguinin 2023.

Thomas Heatherwick
Photo: Raquel Diniz

HIGHLIGHTS
Japan’s First! Heatherwick Studio’s 28 Major Projects Showcased All at Once
Referential Items Such as Models and Material Samples from Various
Projects Completed through Trial and Error to Be on View
A Full-Scale Model (Partial; over 4 Meters in Height) to Be Exhibited of London’s
Double-Decker Bus Heatherwick Studio Redesigned after 50 Years, Utilizing theLarge Space of the 11-Meter-High Open Ceiling for the Observatory!
Unique Exhibition Space Inspired by Japanese Store Curtains and Banners
Space to Enjoy Tokyo Cityscape from the Observation Deck While Sitting on a
Playful Chair Spun Designed by Heatherwick Studio that Rotates 360 Degrees

New Routemaster 2012 London
Photo: Iwan Baan

Azabudai Hills / Lower Levels2023 (expected) TokyoⒸ DBox for Mori Building Co., Ltd.

press release Inquiries: Heatherwick Studio: Building Soulfulness Public Relations Office [within Kyodo PR]

Tel: +81-(0)80-2032-4674 (Ms. Kunitoki) / +81-(0)70-4303-7215 (Mr. Nakai) E-mail: hs-pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp

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HEATHERWICK STUDIO: BUILDING SOULFULNESS

Press Release VOL.1

DECEMBER 19, 2022

SECTIONS
Section 1: Coming Together“ A whole ” is made up of various “ parts. ” Many ofHeatherwick Studio’s projects can be likened to a holistic

big picture with a compelling power, achieved throughan aggregation of details that have been meticulouslyconceived. This approach offers us a glimpse into how
the Studio assembles the “ souls ” that inhabit each smallpart in an attempt to create a single, huge space capableof stirring human emotions.
Shanghai Expo UK Pavilion
2010
Photo: Iwan Baan

Section 2: Connecting with Everyone
Heatherwick Studio has created many open spaces
where people can come together naturally and start a
conversation or dialogue. By opening up spaces thattend to become closed and cloistered, and establishingconnections with adjoining spaces, the Studio takes
a creative approach to the design process, crafting
opportunities for togetherness, and a connection withnatural light and air.
Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingels Group
Google Bay View
2022 Mountain View, CA
Photo: Iwan Baan

Section 3: Experiencing Sculptural SpaceOne of the most distinctive characteristics ofHeatherwick Studio’s designs is the attention given to
three-dimensional, sculptural form. These buildings
can resemble sculptures that have been conceived ata human scale, but in reality are designed to work as
spatial experiences on a city scale. There is no loss ofhandcrafted detail or warmth in the choice of materials
and texture that would be expected from an artist orartisan craftsperson.

Hainan Performing Arts Center2020 (contracted)
ChinaCourtesy: Devisualpress release Inquiries: Heatherwick Studio: Building Soulfulness Public Relations Office [within Kyodo PR]

Tel: +81-(0)80-2032-4674 (Ms. Kunitoki) / +81-(0)70-4303-7215 (Mr. Nakai) E-mail: hs-pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp

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HEATHERWICK STUDIO: BUILDING SOULFULNESS

Press Release VOL.1

DECEMBER 19, 2022

Section 4: Feeling Nature in Urban SpaceThe natural world is filled with ecologies of metabolism.
The energies that emerge out of them enrich and enliven
the hearts and minds of people who live in urbanizedenvironments. Heatherwick Studio approaches every
project with the ambition of creating a lasting andpositive impact by designing places that people will loveand enjoy, providing enriching and fulfilling experiences.
By exploring the function of nature within urban
environments, so that trees and plants that are not merely
ornamental, but incorporate the energy and spiritual wellbeing of the natural world into urban settings.

1000 Trees
2021
ShanghaiPhoto: Zhu Qingyan

Section 5: Bringing Memories to the Future
History is an accumulation of human stories. Buildings arealso repositories of memories belonging to the people
who have spent time in them. Heatherwick Studio feelsthat it is its mission to bring to the future the memories
of buildings that have outlived their original function.
Although the Studio carries out bold conversions thatleverage the designs of the original buildings, one canalso see a commitment throughout to repair and restore
elements to their former state.

Section 6: Playing and Using
The designs of Heatherwick Studio have a playful streak
to them. Friction Table , the shape of which can be freelychanged from a circle to an ellipse and back again, wasthe result of the bold idea to imbue furniture with aversatility that could respond to individual needs. Spun ,a chair that could be considered as a sculptural work,rotates 360 degrees while tracing an arc when someone
sits on it. This accumulation of versatile, unbridled ideas
has been applied throughout the Studio ’ s buildings on
the considerably larger scale of architecture.

The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MoCAA)
2017 Cape Town
Photo: Iwan Baan

Spun
2007Courtesy: Magis
Photo: Susan Smartpress release Inquiries: Heatherwick Studio: Building Soulfulness Public Relations Office [within Kyodo PR]

Tel: +81-(0)80-2032-4674 (Ms. Kunitoki) / +81-(0)70-4303-7215 (Mr. Nakai) E-mail: hs-pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp

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