Legacy by Various Designers

ach of the pieces – 10 in total – were beautifully crafted in American red oak, an exciting and sustainable hardwood species that grows abundantly in American forests, and were fabricated at Benchmark Furniture in Berkshire. Nine of the pieces were presented as a group exhibition at the V&A, and then were relocated to the homes or institutions of each of the commissioners. “We called upon cultural leaders in London and asked if they would like to contribute to this thought-provoking project,” said Sorrell. “We then invited some of the world’s top designers and were delighted when everybody immediately said yes.” “AHEC is always pushing the boundaries for American hardwoods and we wanted to create a project that celebrates the use of red oak to demonstrate not just how beautiful it is for furniture making, but also to test the performance and quality of this abundant wood,” said David Venables, European Director of AHEC. “It’s a fabulous project with incredible designers. We can’t wait to see what emerges from these unique collaborations.” The 10 commissioners and designers were; **ALEX BEARD CBE** Chief Executive, Royal Opera House, with **TERENCE WOODGATE** **AMANDA NEVILL CBE** CEO, British Film Institute, with **SEBASTIAN COX** **HANS ULRICH OBRIST** Artistic Director, Serpentine Galleries, with **NINA TOLSTRUP** and **JACK MAMA, STUDIOMAMA** **SIR IAN BLATCHFORD** Director and Chief Executive, Science Museum Group, with **MARLÈNE HUISSOUD** **IWONA BLAZWICK OBE** Director, Whitechapel Gallery, with **YAEL MER** and **SHAY ALKALAY, RAW EDGES** **SIR JOHN SORRELL CBE** Chairman, London Design Festival, with **JULIET QUINTERO, DALLAS-PIERCE-QUINTERO** **KWAME KWEI-ARMAH OBE** Artistic Director, Young Vic, with **TOMOKO AZUMI** **DR MARIA BALSHAW CBE** Director, Tate, with **MAX LAMB** **TAMARA ROJO CBE** Artistic Director, English National Ballet, with M**ARTINO GAMPER** **DR TRISTRAM HUNT** Director, V&A, with **JASPER MORRISON** Supported by [American Hardwood Export Council](https://www.americanhardwood.org/en/eu).