Architect Norman Foster is a talented winner of the Imperial and Pritzker Prizes from England, a bright representative of the high-tech direction.
Foster’s projects are characterized by scale, an abundance of glass, metal ceilings lining complex geometric surfaces and versatility. Despite the intended hint of rudeness, often the creations have exquisite details that always have a place in an architectural masterpiece. To learn more about the architect’s career and success story, check out Norman Foster’s short biography.
Norman Robert Foster was born on June 1, 1935 in Great Britain, in the suburbs of Manchester, in a family of workers. He had no brothers and sisters, his father worked as a painter at a railway factory. To characterize Norman Foster’s childhood can be a quote from an interview: “For people from our area, getting into the university was as easy as becoming the Pope.”
In 1956, Norman entered the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Manchester for paid education. It was not easy to pay for his studies, Foster had to work as an ice cream man, and sometimes as a bouncer. But prizes for projects in the field of architecture gave him the opportunity to practice abroad and travel. In 1961, Norman continued to study at Yale University. Here he meets Richard Rogers, his future partner.
At the age of 27, Foster returned to Britain with Richard Rogers, where he created the Team 4 company, which specializes in industrial architecture and high-tech style. After another 27 years, the company will grow to an incredible size. Norman Foster’s Foster Associates Architectural Bureau has over 920 employees. The company’s portfolio includes dozens of objects, including the Commerzbank Tower, an exhibition hall in Singapore, the Palace of Peace and Accord in Astana, etc.
In 1990, the architect was knighted, Sir Norman Foster is the holder of the title of Lords of the Bank of the Thames and a member of the House of Lords.
Norman Foster Architectural Bureau
The bureau was officially founded in 1967, but acquired its name in 1990. During its 51 years of existence, the company has implemented hundreds of large-scale projects around the world. Art Nouveau office buildings, metro stations, airport terminals, faculties, museums, bridges, entertainment and exhibition centers were created.
The bureau was twice awarded the Stirling Prize (for the construction of the museum in Duxford and the Mary-Ex skyscraper), once – the Aga Khan Prize (for the project of a university in Malaysia).
In addition to architecture, the company provides restoration services: the bureau has reconstructed the German Reichstag, Wembley Stadium in the UK and the Spanish Camp Nou.
On the official website of Norman Foster and his bureau is – www.fosterandpartners.com – you can see the provided photos of projects and concepts that the company plans to bring to life in the near future.
Projects
Many projects have been implemented by Norman Foster in London, USA and EU countries.
The most popular projects were the Canary Wharf metro station, the Millennium Bridge in England, the Collserola skyscraper in Spain, the Palace of Peace and Accord in Kazakhstan, Crystal Island in Russia (in 2018 – under development), the America spaceport in the USA , Millau Viaduct in France, BakuWhiteCity in Azerbaijan and many others. Norman Foster also visited Moscow many times, Russian architectural firms are partners of Foster Associates.
The architect also designs furniture. Widely known for his minimalist coffee tables Foster 505, high-tech Foster 500 Sofa, futuristic armchairs Foster 525 and Foster 520.
Books
It would be strange if such an outstanding personality as Norman Foster, whose books are a huge success among young architects, did not become a well-known popularizer of this activity.
Foster is the author of a number of books:
- “Reconstruction of the Reichstag”
- “The Great Courtatthe British Museum”
- Beijing Capital International Airport
- Wembley Stadium (co-written with Simon Inglis)
- Sainsbury Center for Visual Arts and many others.
Movies
In 2010, directors Carlos Karkas and Norberto Amado filmed the documentary “How much does your building weigh, Mr. Foster?”. Foster himself played in this film. Great Britain, Spain, Germany, USA participated in the creation of the picture. Through the film, viewers can follow the career of a great architect and the constant quest to improve the quality of human life through design.
