Renowned designer and founder of Heatherwick Studio, Thomas Heatherwick, was awarded an honorary Bespoke Guild Mark by The Furniture Makers’ Company for his sensational Friction Table at the  Evolution of Tradition exhibition (2-5 October).

Evolution of Tradition is a new exhibition of contemporary bespoke furniture exclusively from Bespoke Guild Mark holders and represents an exciting collaboration between The Furniture Makers’ Company, a City of London livery company, and Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, the world’s premier design destination.

Thomas was presented the Bespoke Guild Mark – the ultimate accolade for designer-makers – in person during a special ceremony at the exhibition on Monday 1 October.

A 1:2 scale model of the Friction Table was on display at the exhibition and complemented the exceptional presentation of 28 pieces from 15 designer-makers including Marc Fish, Tim Gosling, Rupert Senior, Matthew Burt, Byron & Gómez, Jonathan Field, Alun Heslop, Edward Johnson, John Makepeace OBE, Rupert McBain, Laurent Peacock, Jake Phipps, Angus Ross, Katie Walker and Waywood.

The Bespoke Guild Mark recognises excellence in design, materials, craftsmanship and function for exquisite pieces of furniture. A 90-second film about the Bespoke Guild Mark and what it means to designer-makers is available to view here.

Marc Fish, Bespoke Guild Mark chairman, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that Thomas joined us at the inaugural edition of Evolution of Tradition and that his Friction Table – a fantastic feat of engineering. Evolution of Tradition proved to be a wonderful celebration of British craftsmanship.”

Three additional films featuring interviews with three of the designer-makers exhibiting at Evolution of Tradition are available to view here:

Marc Fish

Edward Johnson

Laurent Peacock

See the full gallery of images from Evolution of Tradition

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