That's How It Happened

The new facade at Guy's Hospital hasn't been officially unveiled yet, but the main structure seems to be complete. I took these photos yesterday. The facade is built from a mesh of steel tape, woven something like a wicker chair. It covers up the boiler room, perhaps the ugliest part of London's ugliest hospital. Everything Heatherwick designs seems to have instant icon status, and this is no exception. It's visually appealing both from a distance and close up. It somehow combines the qualities of a rigid armour suit for the building, and as the light shines through it, an ethereal veil. It isn't a facade that radiates health and wellbeing, but it had to fit in with the existing brutalist backdrop of Guy's Tower.

Labels: heatherwick