Architect · United Kingdom · born 1935
Norman Foster Biography, Buildings and Best Books
British architect (born 1935) whose high-tech, environmentally minded buildings span the globe, from the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong to the Reichstag dome and the Gherkin.
Photo: bigbug21, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Biography
Norman Foster (born 1935) is a British architect and the founder of Foster + Partners, one of the world’s largest architectural practices. A pioneer of high-tech architecture and of environmentally conscious design, he has shaped skylines and infrastructure around the world, from the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong to the Reichstag dome in Berlin.
Manchester, Yale and Team 4
Born into a working-class family in Reddish, near Manchester, Foster left school at sixteen and worked in the city treasurer’s office before studying architecture at the University of Manchester. A fellowship took him to Yale, where he met Richard Rogers; back in Britain they founded Team 4 with Su Brumwell and Wendy Cheesman in 1963.
Foster Associates and High-Tech
In 1967 Foster and Wendy Cheesman, by then his wife, founded Foster Associates. Early works such as the Willis Faber & Dumas building in Ipswich and the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich, followed by the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong, made the practice a leader of high-tech architecture, celebrating structure, technology and flexible space.
Global Landmarks
From Stansted Airport and the Commerzbank tower in Frankfurt to the Reichstag dome, the Millennium Bridge and 30 St Mary Axe in London, Foster + Partners combined engineering innovation with a growing focus on energy efficiency and natural light. Infrastructure projects include Chek Lap Kok airport in Hong Kong, the Millau Viaduct in France and Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport.
Recognition
Foster received the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 1983 and the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1999, the year he was made a life peer as Lord Foster of Thames Bank. In 2017 he launched the Norman Foster Foundation in Madrid to promote interdisciplinary thinking about architecture, design and cities.
Norman Foster: Works
Philip Jodidio’s 712-page TASCHEN survey, produced with Foster + Partners, covers six decades of buildings and infrastructure, from Team 4 to the practice’s latest towers and campuses.
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Timeline
- 1935Born on 1 June in Reddish, near Manchester.
- 1961Graduates from the University of Manchester School of Architecture.
- 1962Completes a master’s degree at Yale, where he meets Richard Rogers.
- 1963Founds Team 4 with Richard Rogers, Su Brumwell and Wendy Cheesman.
- 1966Team 4 completes the Creek Vean house in Cornwall.
- 1967Founds Foster Associates with Wendy Foster.
- 1975Completes the Willis Faber & Dumas headquarters in Ipswich.
- 1978Completes the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich.
- 1983Receives the RIBA Royal Gold Medal.
- 1986Completes the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong.
- 1999Receives the Pritzker Architecture Prize, completes the Reichstag dome in Berlin and is made a life peer.
- 2004Completes 30 St Mary Axe in London and the Millau Viaduct in France.
- 2008Completes Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport.
- 2017Completes Apple Park and Bloomberg’s European headquarters, and launches the Norman Foster Foundation.
- 2022Completes 425 Park Avenue in New York.
Best Books on Norman Foster
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Norman Foster known for?
Norman Foster is known for high-tech, technically innovative and increasingly sustainable buildings, including the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong, the Reichstag dome in Berlin and 30 St Mary Axe in London. He founded Foster + Partners and received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1999.
What are Norman Foster’s most famous buildings?
His most celebrated works include the Willis Faber & Dumas building (1975), the Sainsbury Centre (1978), the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong (1986), the Reichstag dome (1999), the Millau Viaduct (2004), 30 St Mary Axe (2004) and Apple Park (2017).
What is the best book about Norman Foster?
For a complete overview we recommend Norman Foster: Works by Philip Jodidio (TASCHEN). For his design process, choose Norman Foster: Drawings 1958-2008 or the Norman Foster Sketchbooks.
What architectural style is Norman Foster?
Foster is one of the founders of high-tech architecture, which celebrates structure, technology and flexible space. His later work places growing emphasis on energy efficiency, natural light and sustainability.
Where can you visit Norman Foster’s buildings?
The Reichstag dome in Berlin, the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich, the Great Court of the British Museum, the Millennium Bridge in London, the Carré d’Art in Nîmes and the Red Dot Design Museum at Zollverein in Essen are all open to the public.
