Houses Gardens People: 12/1/14

UK Pavillion, Shanghai World Expo

What if . . . In a way, Thomas Heatherwick is the Diana Vreeland of architecture—while the former editor of Vogue urged us to think out of the box by asking "Why don't you . . ." followed by something unexpected, whimsical and often outrageous—Heatherwick asks, "What if . . ." before a commission, filling in the blanks with inventive, boy-genius solutions that are as beautiful as they are astonishing in their creativity and use of materials.

The models for London-based Heatherwick Studios' most inspiring works—along with photographs and videos of the resulting constructions—are on display at the Nasher Sculpture Center in a show called Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heatherwick Studio. You'll be inspired by how Heatherwick's mind works (the links under each photo will take you to detailed descriptions).

Rolling Bridge, Grand Union canal at Paddington Basin, London

Pedestrian garden bridge across the Thames

40-story hotel in Hong Kong

Al Fayah park, Abu Dhabi

Redesign of the iconic London bus uses 40% less fuel

Spun chair

Thomas Heatherwick

Vladimir Kagan's Serpentine sofa paired with handmade wallpaper by Porter Teleo

Legendary . . . the renowned Vladimir Kagan furniture line landed last week at David Sutherland Showroom in Dallas and Houston, and it's worth making a special trip there to see it (the whole showroom's been redesigned). The son of a cabinet maker, Kagan became a sculptor, and later, furniture designer, creating many of his most iconic pieces during the 50s and 60s. He never stopped working and designing—at 87 he's still producing furniture from his New Jersey factory. David Sutherland and Kagan hand picked the pieces for the showrooms during a recent visit to Kagan's factory. These iPhone shots are just a preview—I'll be covering Kagan and his furniture in more depth in an upcoming issue of PaperCity—including a wonderful interview with Kagan where he reveals the backstories of some of his designs, so stay tuned.