Foster and Partners

British design, architecture, engineering and planning firm From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Foster and Partners

Foster and Partners (also Foster + Partners) is a British international architecture firm with its headquarters in London, England. It was founded in 1967 by British architect and designer Norman Foster. The firm has been involved in the design of major projects around the world, including the Gherkin in London, the Luigi Einaudi university campus in Turin, the Hearst Tower in New York City,[3] the 1990s renovation of the Reichstag in Berlin,[4] the Millau Viaduct in France,[5] and Hong Kong International Airport.[6]

Quick Facts Company type, Industry ...
Foster and Partners
Company typePrivate
IndustryArchitecture, engineering, urban planning
Founded1967; 58 years ago (1967)
Founder Norman Foster, Lord Foster of Thames Bank, Founder and Executive Chairman
Headquarters,
Area served
International
Key people
  • Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman Spencer de Grey, Senior Partner, Head of Design Stuart Latham, Managing Partner[1]
ServicesArchitecture, Design, Industrial Design
Number of employees
1,900[2]
Websitefosterandpartners.com
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In addition to architectural design, the firm's practice encompasses engineering[7] and industrial design.[8] As of 2021, the firm had approximately 1,500 employees in New York City, Hong Kong, and Madrid.[7] The firm has won the Pritzker Architecture Prize[9] and the Stirling Prize.[10] By 2024, Foster + Partner earned more than half a billion dollars in fees.[11] 40% of Foster + Partner's fees were paid by clients in the Middle East.[11]

History

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Perspective

The firm was established by Norman Foster in 1967,[9] shortly after leaving his first studio, Team 4.[12] The firm was originally called Foster Associates before the name was changed to Foster + Partners in 1999.[13]

The firm was chosen by Robert Sainsbury to design the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, which was completed in 1978.[14] Located at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England,[15] the 500 foot-long steel structure was designed to house the Sainsbury’s art collection, and was the firm’s first public building.[14]

In 1979, Foster + Partners won an international competition to design the new HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong.[16] When the building was completed, it was the most expensive building in the world.[16]

The firm was chosen to renovate the Reichstag in Berlin after being selected in a design competition in 1992.[17] The renovation was completed in 1999.[16]

Foster + Partners was selected to be architect of a new skyscraper in London to be built on the site of the Baltic Exchange building, which had been heavily damaged by an IRA bomb in 1992.[18] The building, known as 30 St Mary Axe or its nickname, “The Gherkin,” was completed in 2004 for Swiss Re.[19]

In 2001, construction began on the Norman Foster-designed Millau Viaduct spanning the Tarn Gorge in southern France. The bridge was completed in 2004 and as of 2024 was the tallest bridge in the world.[20]

In 2007, the private equity company 3i took a stake in the firm.[21]

The firm was approached by Steve Jobs in 2009 to develop 75 acres in Cupertino, California into the new headquarters of Apple; Jobs consulted on the design until his death in 2011.[22] The campus, known as Apple Park, cost $5 billion and opened in 2017.[23]

The practice regained complete ownership in June 2014, when the 140 partners bought it back from 3i.[24]

In October 2021, a significant stake in the firm was bought for an undisclosed sum by a Canadian private investor, Hennick & Company, which became the single largest shareholder of the firm. Foster retains a controlling interest.[25]

Notable projects

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Perspective

Notable projects ordered by year of completion and type:

Masterplans

Airports

Bridges

Government

Cultural

Higher education

Sport

Transportation

Office

Leisure

Mixed use

Residential

Retail

Current

Selected works

Awards

Criticism

In June 2008, The Guardian criticized real estate development in a pristine seacoast area in Bulgaria, which was under EU environmental protection. The paper cited environmentalists' concerns over the impact of the planned 15,000-inhabitant resort facilities. The Bulgarian partner Georgi Stanishev, is the brother of Sergey Stanishev, who served as the Prime Minister of Bulgaria between 2005 and 2009 and is also the Leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party.[62]

See also

References

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