UK Pavilion

The design process evolved to produce two interlinked and experiential elements: an architecturally iconic Seed Cathedral, and a multi-layered landscape treatment of the 6,000 sqm site.
The Seed Cathedral sits in the centre of the UK Pavilion’s site, 20 metres in height, formed from 60,000 slender transparent fibre optic rods, each 7.5 metres long and each encasing one or more seeds at its tip. During the day, they draw daylight inwards to illuminate the interior. At night, light sources inside each rod allow the whole structure to glow. As the wind moves past, the building and its optic “hairs” gently move to create a dynamic effect. Inside the darkened inner sanctum of the Seed Cathedral, the tips of the fibre optic filaments form an apparently hovering galaxy of slim vitrines containing a vast array of embedded seeds. The seeds have been sourced from China’s Kunming Institute of Botany, a partner in Kew Royal Botanic Gardens’ Millennium Seed Bank Project. Visitors will pass through this tranquil, contemplative space, surrounded by the tens of thousands of points of light illuminating the seeds. These fibre optic filaments are particularly responsive to external light conditions so that the unseen movement of clouds above the Seed Cathedral are experienced internally as a fluctuating luminosity. The studio’s intention is to create an atmosphere of reverence around this formidable collection of the world’s botanical resources; a moment of personal introspection in a powerful silent space. The Seed Cathedral is made from a steel and timber composite structure pierced by 60,000 fibre optic filaments, 20 mm square in section, which pass through aluminium sleeves. The holes in the 1 metre thick wood diaphragm structure forming the visitor space inside the Seed Cathedral were drilled with great geometric accuracy to ensure precise placement of the aluminium sleeves through which the optic fibre filaments are inserted.

Thomas Heatherwick is one of the UK’s leading creative talents. Since establishing his studio in 1994 Heatherwick and his colleagues have refused to be categorised within traditional boundaries and their work extends across art, architecture, product design and beyond. Today, a highly talented team of architects, designers and makers operate from a studio and workshop in King’s Cross, London – a unique environment where project management and implementation take place in parallel with experimentation with ideas, materials and manufacturing processes. Completed projects include the RIBA National award-winning East Beach Café; Longchamp’s La Maison Unique flagship store in New York and the internationally renowned Rolling Bridge in London. In addition to the UK Pavilion for the Shanghai Expo, Heatherwick Studio is currently working on a major redevelopment of Pacific Place (one of Hong Kong’s most established and well respected shopping malls) and is working with a dynamic community of monks on the design for a new monastery.