The cover of our 20th anniversary issue is rather special, even if we do say so ourselves…. After all, we don't do 'normal' at Wallpaper*. To mark the momentous occasion we decided to ask one standout game-changer, Thomas Heatherwick, to do something truly outstanding with us. His cover design is a textbook example of the Heatherwick approach: a low-tech but joyous piece of paper engineering to create a simple but total transformation.
As you fold, squash and stretch your Wallpaper* Friction Cover, consider that you’re holding one of the smallest and most intricate projects to come out of the Heatherwick Studio. He thinks it’s a true return to the surprise and delight conjured up by his earliest works back in 1996; we think it represents the intersection of engineering, design and making.
Speaking of making, first you will need to order the kit required to create this kinetic cover by emailing makeyourowncover@wallpaper.com. Once it arrives, return to this page to follow the simple instructions below…
Step 1
Tear off the cover via perforation
Step 2
Cut the removed page into six strips along the dotted lines
Step 3
Place pins through the lengths of card from your Friction Cover kit, as shown
Step 4
Press the pins together from each side firmly, to secure the mechanism
Step 5
Glue the strips of the magazine cover to the mechanism
Step 6
Place the mechanism on the magazine, making sure to leave cover strip no. 1 open
Step 7
Glue the cover strip to the mechanism
Step 8
Slide your Friction Cover to reveal the birthday message...
Now you're all done, why not share a picture of your finished kinetic cover with us? Send us a snap of your Wallpaper* collection (or your most prized edition) using #SubscriberSince and tagging @wallpapermag on Twitter and/or Instagram