The Seed Cathedral is Thomas Heatherwick's bestknown project shown at 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The designer and his team have worked on other initiatives around the world, like Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. (Photo provided to China Daily)
It was judged the best pavilion at that exposition.
The project became a turning point for Heatherwick Studio, opening doors worldwide, especially in China. He is now doing two projects in Shanghai - the 420,000-square-meter Shanghai Bund Finance Center and a silk museum and workshop in Shunde in South China's Guangdong province.
In 2012, Heatherwick Studio designed a cauldron for the London Olympics.
The current exhibition in China also shows older projects like the Rolling Bridge in London, the New Bus for London and some furniture designs that Heatherwick and his teams worked on.
At the moment, Heatherwick Studio is working on four continents on projects valued at more than 2 billion pounds ($3 billion), including the Garden Bridge over Thames River and the Google campus in Silicon Valley.
He is also keen to find opportunities to work on socially-relevant projects such as schools, hospitals or prisons, Heatherwick says.
Born and raised in London, Heatherwick studied 3-D design in Manchester Polytechnic and the Royal College of Art.
His mother is a craftswoman and that motivated him to think about designs.
He founded Heatherwick Studio in 1994 in London. The studio covers architecture, urban infrastructure, and furniture and product designs. It employs 180 people, mostly architects and designers.
Since he was young, Heatherwick wanted to create things rather than dwell on theories. His interest in China is also growing.
"In China, the developers I meet are not stuck on the idea that a building designer has (just) one style. Instead, they say, 'You did the Seed Cathedral, what would you do for this project?", he says.
"In China, the challenge is how to invent ideas that feel particular for China and not for somewhere else. Often we travel, and the city you travel to looks similar to the city you came from. I find that very disappointing."
He says his mission is to not even copy himself.
Part of the 2015 UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange, the Beijing exhibition will run through June 21, before traveling to Shanghai.
