Cat's Eye, Hotel Pepper and Salt, Pint Glass, Pinstripe Suit, Coastline, Grass

Maverick architect Will Alsop is well known for his avant-garde, striking buildings with their unusual forms and riotous colour – but he moves to more traditional pastures for his list of six icons.

“The cat’s eye – it makes driving so much easier. The traditional hotelware heavy pewter pepper and salt. They are comforting in their weight and utility. Goes well with mulligatawny soup. The straight English pint glass with the bulge to stop a wet glass slipping through your fingers. The pin stripe suit – in particular the chalk stripe because no other nationality would wear it. The coastline – in its huge variety it defines an island. Grass and its greenness.”

Read more about and vote on the cat's eye.

Image of cat's eye © topfoto.co.uk