Architect and designer Thomas Heatherwick established Heatherwick Studio in 1994. It is recognized globally for its work in architecture, urban infrastructure, sculpture, design and strategic thinking.
When he was a student, Heatherwick spent time experimentally shaping wood on a bobbin sander (a spindle sander in the U.S.).
"Using the rigorous geometry of straight lines, he was able to create forms with twisted surfaces. Four of these twisted pieces were combined, forming a cabinet with schizophrenic doors: when they are opened halfway, the bottoms of the doors look as if they are nearly open, while the tops still look almost closed," notes Heatherwick Studios.
Heatherwick made this first original oak cabinet by hand. The complex piece is now produced and marketed by Benchmark Furniture, priced at £4,000, about $6,000 U.S>
Today the Heatherwick Studio team of 170, including architects, designers and makers, work from a combined studio and workshop in Kings Cross, London. At the heart of the studio’s work is a profound commitment to finding innovative design solutions, with a dedication to artistic thinking and the latent potential of materials and craftsmanship. This is achieved through a working methodology of collaborative rational inquiry, undertaken in a spirit of curiosity and experimentation.