architectural practice
Heatherwick Studio, 2023
Making House, 55 Argyle Street, WC1H 8EE
Visit Making House, the London home of Heatherwick Studio, a team of over 280 problem solvers dedicated to making the physical world around us better for everyone. Explore our new exhibition and the exciting stories of London Olympia, Little Island in New York, the central business district in Xi’an, and Birmingham City's football stadium, among many other extraordinary design projects.
King's Cross St. Pancras
King's Cross
10, 17, 205, 214, 259, 30, 390, 45, 46, 476, 59, 63, 73, 91
While there is no parking, there are ample public transport options nearby. The toilets and changing facilities are accessible via a lift.
Studio members will guide people through the space and explain the displays. There may be some limited noise from the workshop.
10:00–16:00
Drop-in - no booking necessary. We are expecting large numbers of visitors, so please allow some time for queueing. Final entry 4pm !
Heatherwick Studio is an architecture and design practice based in King’s Cross since 1994. It creates buildings, spaces, objects, and infrastructure all around the world. Internationally celebrated projects include Coal Drops Yard in London, Little Island in New York, Changi Airport’s terminal 5, and the recently completed London Olympia.
Historically, the studio has been somewhat hidden away. But in its new home, Making House, it is focused on engaging more with the public. Formerly the head office of a well-known fashion brand, the building has a prominent place on Argyle Street, just a five-minute walk from King’s Cross Station.
A comprehensive renovation has maximised its relationship with the street. Huge windows reveal the inner workings of the studio and workshop, with the intention of sharing the skill and passion of the 280+ creative people who work there. The hope is that passers-by might be given a literal window into the way the studio works and how it tries to realise a vision for a world where the buildings and places around us are radically more joyful, engaging and human.
Visitors can explore three decades of ideas and projects through models of the studio’s best-known projects and objects. Our team will be on hand to help you explore materiality, watch videos showing the studio’s built work, and get the latest updates on some of the studio's most exciting projects.
Materiality is at the heart of the studio’s design approach, with the design studio sitting side-by-side with a fully functional in-house workshop, complete with 3D printers, vac-formers and laser cutters. Visitors can learn about the process of making and discover how designers test ideas and experiment with materials.
The studio’s aim is that people will leave feeling a little bit creative, a little bit inspired, and a little more ready to think about how the buildings in our towns and cities could be more soulful.