Build beautiful: Thomas Heatherwick's campaign to 'humanize' buildings
Power Play
POLITICO
4.2 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 23 November 2023
⏱️ 38 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
Thomas Heatherwick’s designs have become icons in his home city of London, including the eye-catching cauldron at the 2012 Olympic Games and the reimagined Routemaster bus. The British designer's projects have popped up around the world — and not without controversy.
In this week’s edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Heatherwick about his mission to change the way our cities and urban areas are built. His new book "Humanise" implores mayors and town planners around the world to replace "boring" buildings, arguing that they damage our health and the environment.
Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s "Power Panel" to reflect on the interview. Aitor Hernández-Morales is author of the Living Cities Global Policy Lab at POLITICO Europe, and Jeff Coltin is co-author of POLITICO’s New York Playbook.
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| 0:00.0 | Today's episode is presented by Nova Vax. |
| 0:02.8 | Nova Vax is a global leader in vaccine development and research. |
| 0:06.8 | The company is working to make safe and effective vaccines available |
| 0:10.4 | to help protect those who need them around the world. |
| 0:13.0 | NovaVax is also collaborating with leading organizations across the global vaccines landscape, |
| 0:18.0 | including research institutions, government agencies, foundations, and industry to help ensure access and increase uptake |
| 0:24.9 | of vaccines worldwide. |
| 0:26.7 | Learn more at W. W. Novavax.com. |
| 0:30.1 | Yes, it's that time of year when we find ourselves looking upwards. |
| 0:38.0 | We can get out of the office rut for some Thanksgiving fresh air, or enjoy holiday lights illuminating |
| 0:44.4 | landmarks in cities from New York to London and even Brussels gets a cheery do-over. |
| 0:51.7 | My guest on Power Play this week has spent his career thinking about how to make the features |
| 0:57.3 | around us more interesting. He's one of the world's most renowned and eclectic designers. |
| 1:04.0 | Over the last decade, Thomas Heatherwick's creations have become icons in London. |
| 1:08.8 | They include the eye-catching cauldron at the 2012 Olympic Games and the reimagined red bus. |
| 1:16.3 | He's also the figure behind the extraordinary and controversial vessel structure in Manhattan's |
| 1:21.7 | Hudson Yards and some of the technology cathedrals built in Silicon Valley. |
| 1:26.4 | He's now also opened a new studio in Shanghai. |
| 1:30.4 | Welcome to Paris. Hi. |
| 1:38.0 | Welcome to Power Play, Politica's Transatlantic Podcast, where I talk to some of the most influential figures on either side of the Atlantic. |
| 1:43.0 | Thomas Heatherwick is on a mission to change the way our cities and urban areas are built. |
| 1:49.0 | He's got a new book out called Humanize, |
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