This is the most bizarre and eccentric creation I have ever seen. Yet it is pure genius. Known as the “Seed Cathedral” – or the “Dandelion” for its radiating sprays of rods – this space-age flower power building has won the top award for the finest pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, the biggest world fair on record, where it attracted eight million visitors over six months. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, itnd is a six-storey cube like structure created from 66,000 fibre optic rods each containing a cluster of seeds.

Success is often achieved by taking risks, which is what the designer admits happened when he resisted the temptation to recreate a typically British landmark, such as the Tower of London.

“We held our nerve. We weren’t predictable,” he said.

That’s surely the best advice for all creative people who want to get that jaw-dropping Wow-Factor feeling. And it’s great plug for British designers. I can’t wait to see Heatherwick’s next creation.