2003/ 2004
Thomas Heatherwick
Thomas Heatherwick’s work defies definition. Since establishing his studio in the mid-nineties, the London-based designer has worked on a wide range of projects including the new Routemaster bus, the London 2012 Olympic cauldron and the award-winning Zeitz MOCAA in South Africa. Terence Conran was one of Heatherwick’s earliest supporters, ever since they met at the Royal College of Art. During the summer of 1994 Heatherwick lived and worked at Conran’s home, building a birch gazebo in his garden and one of his earliest projects included an installation for the Conran Shop in Fulham.
Given their rich working relationship, it was only appropriate that Heatherwick should be invited to be the final participant in the Conran Foundation Collection project. Instead of a few carefully chosen pieces, the exhibition was a free-wheeling selection of products from around the world. The finished exhibition revealed the designer’s inveterate fascination with making, materials and techniques, colours, patterns and textures. It included Japanese smile wideners, Mecca alarm clocks and disposable toothbrushes, teapots with double spouts, kebab frying pans and Chinese funerary paper offerings. The finished show was a dazzling array of ideas, and a celebration of the ingenuity required to make them.
Gallery 1/5
Gallery 1/5
The following items from the collection have been donated to the Design Museum By the Conran Foundation
Pizza Box Bag - nappy-like bag for pizza boxes
Two Colour Injection Mouldings - household goods moulded from two differently-coloured plastics
Wooden Cutlery - disposable wooden cutlery
Ty Nant water bottle, designed by Ross Lovegrove - watery water bottle
Extendable Chopsticks - telescopic chopsticks
Plastic Spoon - folded spoon
Plastic Bag Holder - handle for carrying plastic bags more comfortably
Eyelid Glue - glue for making Caucasian-style creases in Japanese eyelids
Scrubbing Brush - washing-up brush with washing-up liquid in the handle
Glass String - glass-impregnated kite string for cutting opponents' kite lines
Floss Tool - flossing made as easy as brushing
Pickle Lifter - pickle lifter from a jar of pickles
Muji Stack Pot - pots that make lids for other pots
Emergency Blanket - smallest, lightest garment that keeps you warm
Evian Bottle - bottle designed to be crushed
Baby Feeder - dummy for sucking on solid food
Toaster Bags - silicon bag for cooking food in a toaster
Lamp Shade - opening light bulb protector for building sites
Chewable Toothbrush - chewable disposable toothbrush without a handle
Jif Lemon Squeezy Bottle - packaging shaped like lemons and limes
Cold/Hot Bottle 3M - microwaveable hot water bottle that doesn't need water
Tongue Scrapers - tongue scrapers
Disposable Flossers - disposable flosser with adjustable tension
Spoon-in-lid Goods - folding spoon built into can lid
Toothpicks with Snap-off End - toothpick with snap-off stand
Snap Toothpicks - snap-apart multiple toothpicks
McDonalds McFlurry cup and spoon - stirrer from ice cream mixing machine that becomes the spoon
Nasal strip Expanders - nostril wideners
Wonder-Bra Drawstring - adjustable cleavage bra
Plastic Paperclips - snap-off paperclips
Adjustable Measure Spoon - adjustable volume spoon
Bird Spikes - bird discomforter
M2A Camera Capsule - ingestible intestine camera
Party Clips - glass clip that leaves hand free to hold fork
Telescopic Glass + Integral Pill Box - pill box with built-in water glass
Cigarettes - tobacco brand image ruined by messages of doom
Novelty lighter - Cigarette cigarette lighter
IceCream Scoop - non-stick icecream scoop with antifreeze in handle
Quantas Photo/Sick Bag - innovative combined sick bag and photo-processing envelope
Paper Water Cones - water cups that can't be put down with water in
Breast Guard - breastguard for contact sports
Inflateable Doll Puncture Repair Kit - emergency repair kit
Berlin Wall Postcard - postcard that contains masonry
Berlin Wall Piece - souvenir made of rubble
Toothbrush & Paste in One - toothbrush with built-in toothpaste
Moon Cup - silicon cup worn internally to collect menstrual fluid
Dr Skud - functional perforations provide a free picture
Tip N Tell - detects if parcels have been turned upside down in the post
Kebab Frying Pan - donor kebab meat catcher
Over the Top Sunglasses - sunglasses that clip over the head
Indicator Gloves - cycling gloves with indicators
Anyway-Up Cup - cup that can be turned upside-down without spilling
Earlarm - ear-mounted alarm clock to wake commuters before their stop
Ice-cube bag - self-sealing bag for making ice cubes
Ice-cream cone - injection-moulded wafer
Reusable Sanitary Pads - reusable sanitary towel
Rubiks Cube - the genius of Erno Rubik
Bottled Water Adaptors - teat that enables babies to drink from normal bottles
Babys First Toothbrush - toothbrush that a baby can't choke on
Fingertip Silicon Toothbrush - turns mother's finger into baby's toothbrush
Eurostar Foam Mugs - insulated paper cup that doesn't burn fingers
Scrubbing Glove - scrubbing pads in the shape of gloves
Baby Bowl and Interesting Forks - suckered baby bowl with nice-shaped cutlery
Pearl Shell Text - good health message grown into pearl oyster's shell
Baby Spoons - soft-edged spoon
Mouth Widener -smile widener
Trellis Folding Hangers - trellis folding hanger
Feather Brushes - brush made with wing feathers not bristles
Cornstarch Cutlery - cutlery made from cornstarch
Havdalah Candles - plaited candle
Ritual Handwashing Jug - injection-moulded jug used in Jewish ritual hand-washing
Flask with Integral Luchbox - bottle lid sandwich box
Crazy Lenses - tiny plastic pieces that transform the appearance
Thinning Scissors - hairdressing scissors that don’t cut every hair
Blue Xray Plasters - plaster that can be detected by x-ray checking machine in food factory
Inflatable Body Cast - inflatable splint
Anti Milking Device - spiked nose ring for goat to deter her from suckling own udder
Nail Disc - fingernail packaging
Ceramic Scissors - ceramic-bladed scissors
Skin Bleach - skin bleach
Mini Parasols - folding drink decoration
2 Spout Tea Pot - kettle with separate spouts for tea and water
Collapsable Fishing Basket - collapsible fisherman's basket
Disposable Cut Throat Razors - disposable cut-throat razor
Mosque Alarm Clock - mosque clock with call to prayer chanting alarm
Cogs - cast polymer cogs
Puzzle Rings - puzzle ring discourages its removal for extra-marital liaisons
Cutlery Again - plastic knives reintroduced on aeroplanes after 9-11
Ikea Tape measure - disposable tape measure
Angled Cups - parallelogram cup that's easier for baby to drink from
Coronary stent - coronary stent to enlarge blocked veins
Plastic Lace - simulated lace
Easi Grip Scissors - easily gripped scissors
Paper offerings - Chinese paper replica of goods that are posted to the deceased by burning
Paper Offerings - Chinese paper replica goods sent to dead ancestors by burning
Water Bottle - runner's bottle that's easy to hold when running
Bendy Forks - cutlery that can be bent to suit the user
Lightbulb - bulb that is its own lampshade
Polystyrene chip cones - insulated chip packaging
Clip-on Tie - anti-strangle tie
Glovers - glovers': gloves for holding hands
Jar opener - gripping device for bottle and jar lids
Cafetiere mugs, designed by Sebastian Conran - mug that is also a personal coffee-maker
Cook Set (camping) - ring of pipes that draws heat up sides of camping pan
Eyelid Hold downs - eyeball cups for keeping the eyes closed of a dead body
Anti-fly posting paint - anti-fly posting paint
Fag tags - smoker’s revenge sticker
Paper ketchup cups - ketchup portion control
Confetti mail - divorce confetti