Books
The UK Pavilion – nicknamed 'Dandelion' by the Chinese people – was designed by Thomas Heatherwick. Over the 6 month period of the Expo it was visited by almost 8m people, winning the Expo’s Gold Medal for design and the RIBA’s Lubetkin Prize.
This book tells the story of the creation of the pavilion, uncovering the roots of Thomas Heatherwick’s idea and following the project through development and experimentation to realisation. The hugely ambitious design was comprised of over 60,000 transparent rods which moved in the breeze. Seeds from the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew Gardens were embedded in each of these rods forming a ‘Seed Cathedral’ which was set in a park-like space that provided an area of rest and relaxation for visitors.
Written by Kate Goodwin, Drue Heinz Curator of Architecture at the Royal Academy, the book shows the development from competition stage to finished pavilion. It explores the conviction, dedication and resilience required to create something truly without precedent, in another country, with a limited budget, and within a tight time frame.
English and Mandarin text.
