Heatherwick was presented with the award, which recognises outstanding contribution to design for business and society, this evening, Wednesday 8 November, by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at the Design Council in London.
At only 36, Heatherwick is probably the UK’s best known 3D designer. He has been dubbed ‘the new Leonardo’ for drawing on a vast array of disciplines including art, sculpture, architecture, structural engineering, interior and exhibition design and product design.
His singular vision, fuelled by a passion for problem solving and a fascination with materials, has produced audacious work including B of the Bang, the 56-metre high explosion of steel spikes at the City of Manchester Stadium, and the backward-somersaulting Rolling Bridge at Paddington Basin.
Current projects are typically eclectic: a wavy silver mesh redesign for the entrance to Guy’s Hospital in London; a clamshell-shaped beach café in Littlehampton; and a Buddhist temple in Japan.
Sir George Cox, Chairman of the Design Council and member of the judging panel, said: ‘Judging proved extremely difficult. One could put forward strong arguments why any of the finalists could be a worthy winner. However, Thomas Heatherwick’s wide range of designs have not only been impressive in their own right, but have had a profound influence on design thinking in the UK more generally.’
Heatherwick was among seven nominees - including Richard Rogers, winner of this year’s Stirling Prize for architecture and Lucienne Day, the most revered British textile designer of the 20th century – who have been responsible for creating some of the most widely recognised and durable designs of the past 50 years.
The UK’s longest-running annual design prize, the Prince Philip Designers Prize has been in existence since the early days of the Design Council in the 1950. Former winners include the architect Lord Foster of Thamesbank (2004); Habitat founder Sir Terence Conran (2003); Pentagram founder Kenneth Grange (2000) and James Dyson (1997).
David Kester, Chief Executive of the Design Council, said: ‘There are many design prizes, so for one to endure for three and a half decades – as this one has - it’s got to be special. The Prince Philip Designers Prize is unique for several reasons, not least its royal patron. It celebrates not just an individual design, but a body of work – a lasting contribution by a designer to business success and quality of life, and also to the standing of design itself.’
This year’s Special Commendations were awarded to the textile designer Lucienne Day OBE RDI, who is arguably the most revered and influential British textile designer of the 20th century; and David Mellor CBE RDI, whose name has become synonymous with quality in the design and manufacture of cutlery.
The other nominees were consultancy supremo Rodney Fitch CBE, Rodney Kinsman RDI, among the most consistently successful British furniture designers for forty years; and Stephen Payne OBE, the world’s leading passenger ship designer.
For more information and images please contact Saskia Sissons at the Design Council on 020 7420 5248 or saskia.sissons@designcouncil.org.uk
1. The Prince Philip Designers Prize, which was first awarded in 1959, is run by the Design Council. It is awarded annually to recognise a design career which has upheld the highest standards and broken new ground, while raising the status of design in business and the public sector and also contributing to design education. Nominees are put forward by professional organisations and educational establishments.
2. Judging takes the following into account: contribution to the perception of design by industry and the public, and to the status of designers; influence on design standards and trends; record of successful design for consumer and industrial products or buildings, especially success in the marketplace; originality of concepts, patents and other intellectual property rights; aesthetic quality of designs; structural, manufacturing or engineering quality of designs; contribution to design education.
3. The judging panel is chaired every year by H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh, and this year also comprised: Design Council Chairman Sir George Cox; designer Mike Dempsey RDI, appointed to the Panel by the Royal Designers for Industry where he is Master of the Faculty; Director of Nissan Design Europe David Godber, appointed by the Design Council; John Sermon, appointed to the panel by the Chartered Society of Designers, where he is president; Dr Scott Steedman, an independent consultant in civil and construction engineering, appointed by the Royal Academy of Engineering; and Martin Stevens Managing Director of Unimatic Engineers, appointed by the CBI.
4. The Design Council is the UK’s national strategic body for design. It aims to strengthen and support the economy and society by demonstrating and promoting the vital role of design in making businesses more competitive and public services more effective.