Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT
Capstone Event with British Designer Thomas Heatherwick
Watch the capstone event of the 2020 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT honoring designer Thomas Heatherwick. This online public program includes a special address to MIT from Thomas Heatherwick filmed in his London studio, premiere a behind-the-scenes documentary telling the inspiring story of his design challenge for MIT students, and a conversation between Heatherwick and Dean Hashim Sarkis, curator of the 2021 Venice Biennale of Architecture.
About the Award
The Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT plays a unique role at the Institute by bringing the MIT community together to support MIT’s principal arts organizations: the Department of Architecture; the Program in Art, Culture and Technology (ACT); the Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST); the List Visual Arts Center; the MIT Museum; and Music and Theater Arts (MTA).
About Thomas Heatherwick
Thomas Heatherwick, the 2020 Recipient of the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT, is a British designer whose prolific and varied work over two decades is characterized by its ingenuity, inventiveness, and originality. Defying the conventional classifications of design disciplines, he founded Heatherwick Studio in 1994 to bring the practices of design, architecture, and urban planning together in a single workspace.
London’s Coal Drops Yard, Singapore’s Learning Hub, Cape Town’s Zeitz MOCAA, Shanghai’s 1000 Trees, Tokyo’s Toranomon-Azabudai, and New York’s Vessel are among the many spaces created by Heatherwick Studio.
Thomas leads the design of all Heatherwick Studio projects, working in collaboration with a team of 200 highly-skilled architects, designers, and makers. Thomas’ unusual approach applies artistic thinking to the needs of each project, resulting in some of the most acclaimed designs of our time. Based in London, Heatherwick Studio is currently working in four continents. Heatherwick has been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, a Royal Academician, and in 2004 became the youngest Royal Designer for Industry.
Thomas Heatherwick
Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT 2020 Recipient
Thomas Heatherwick is a British designer whose prolific and varied work over two decades is characterized by its ingenuity, inventiveness, and originality. Defying the conventional classification of design disciplines, he founded Heatherwick Studio in 1994 to bring the practices of design, architecture, and urban planning together in a single workspace.
The Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT
Established in 1974 by the Council for the Arts at MIT
Established in 1974 by the Council for the Arts at MIT and Margaret McDermott in honor of her husband, a co-founder of Texas Instruments, the Award is bestowed upon individuals whose artistic trajectory and body of work indicate that they will achieve the highest distinction as leaders in their fields.
The Arts at MIT
Rooted in experimentation, risk-taking, and imaginative problem-solving
What makes the arts such a vital part of MIT? A creative culture where experimentation and innovation cross all disciplines and break all boundaries. More than half of all undergraduates expand their horizons by enrolling in arts classes each year, on a campus that features more than 3,500 noted works of contemporary art and landmark buildings designed by legendary architects like Frank Gehry and I.M. Pei.
For questions, please contact mcdermott@mit.edu
For information about the Council for the Arts at MIT, please contact:
council-arts@mit.edu
For press inquiries, please contact: Leah Talatinian, Communications Manager, Arts at MIT