Social media videos capture construction on hotly-anticipated Heatherwick Studio projects
Two of the most anticipated leisure projects in the pipeline of British design firm Heatherwick Studio have been showcased through new videos on social media.
The first, filmed by videographer John Sturrock, shows construction advancing on the Coal Yards at King’s Cross in London. Two disused Victorian coal drop buildings at the railway station are being transformed into 100,000sq m (1m sq ft) of culture and leisure space.
watch this thomas heatherwick-designed retail destination take shape in london https://t.co/ayMrP7jL6x pic.twitter.com/HTlxnq1AJt
— designboom (@designboom) August 9, 2017
The structures, which stand apart, are being repaired and connected by a new upper level stitching their two roofs together – a process which can be followed in the video via a timelapse.
When completed in Q2 2018, 65 interior units will be occupied by art galleries, restaurants, bars and retailers – with a focus on fashion and lifestyle. The surrounding coal yard will be transformed into a large public square.
Commenting on the project last year, Heatherwick Studio founder Thomas Heatherwick said: “These two historic structures were never originally designed for people to circulate through. By themselves they would have never made a successful retail destination if we did nothing more than clean them and fill them with shops, because the distance between them is too great to have any social chemistry.
“For this reason, rather than adding an entirely foreign new structure to connect the old buildings, we chose simply to bend and stitch the two roofs together, forming another level of activity underneath, and framing and weather-protecting a dynamic new public space for the city.
A mountain-inspired district in Shanghai
The second video, featuring drone footage captured in July by architecture collective Do Not Settle, reveals how far progress has advanced on Heatherwick Studio’s mountain-inspired Moganshan project in Shanghai.
Called 1000 Trees, the mixed-use project, located next to the city’s M50 arts district, will incorporate a verdant 300,000sq m (3.2 sq ft) complex of buildings, with approximately 1,000 structural columns supporting plants and trees.
“The design has been conceived not as a building but as a piece of topography, taking the form of two tree-covered mountains,” Heatherwick Studio said in a statement.
"Existing planning permission for two conventional shopping mall blocks had been granted for the site, but a huge, boxy building would need to be broken into smaller pieces in order to fit in with the surroundings.
"The integrated planting acts as a natural balancing element and the building’s edges are lowered to minimise the impact where it meets the art district and park, reducing the discernible threshold between them."
Developer Tian An China is overseeing the project.
The work of Heatherwick Studio has inspired several videos popular on social media; such as this one from April showing construction taking place on the honeycomb-like sculptural landmark he is building in Manhattan, New York for the Hudson Yards development.
In June, Berlin-based architecture photographer Laurian Ghinitoiu captured the first images of an elegant new Shanghai theatre designed by Heatherwick Studio and Foster + Partners, which has caught imaginations online with its kinetic moving facade.
Heatherwick Studio Thomas Heatherwick design London Coal Yards King's Cross Shanghai leisure
Is Google's leisure-filled £1bn London HQ set for approval?
Revealed - the shape-shifting facade of Heatherwick and Foster's Shanghai theatre
Heatherwick blames 'political wrangling' for Garden Bridge woes
London mayor scraps plan for Garden Bridge
Heatherwick's 'incredible jigsaw puzzle' landmark rises at Hudson Yards
Royal Portfolio hotel opens in Heatherwick Studio's Cape Town Grain Silo
New York judge rejects lawsuit against Thomas Heatherwick's floating Pier 55
Thomas Heatherwick wins lifetime achievement prize at Disruptive Innovation Awards
FEATURE: Movers & Shakers – Thomas Heatherwick
CLD,ARC,DES,DEV,PHR
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
BodyHoliday plans 10-15 locations in the next 15 years
Floating wellbeing destination planned for London’s Royal Docks
Aman Group to open second Janu in Dubai with inaugural Janu Club
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
