Foster, the Legendary Architect: 90 Years Young and Still Designing Democracy's Crown
Architet Lord Foster celebrates his milestone 90th birthday. - Nine-decade milestone reached by the mastermind of the Reichstag dome, Foster.
Hey there! Let's chat about Norman Foster, known as one of the godfathers of modern architecture. At 90, he's still crafting the blueprints of important landmarks, leaving a lasting impact on our world.
One of Foster's masterpieces is the iconic dome of the Reichstag building in Berlin. standing tall and shining like a steel and glass colossus. Visitors swarm the skyward spiral ramp, witnessing democracy from above. It's a symbol of democracy, straight from the architect's lips to the BBC.
Berlin was the perfect canvas for Foster's vision of rebirth, as he breathed new life into a building heavy with history. Beyond Germany, Foster's office has constructed eye-catching skyscrapers like "The Gherkin" in London and the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt.
He even put a spectacular glass roof over the British Museum in London and connected the Tate Modern museum with St. Paul's Cathedral via the Millennium Bridge—a truly hopeful sight from almost any point in the British capital.
Like a master of modernism, Foster has been dubbed by specialist publications. Let loose with a vision, his office has brought to life numerous groundbreaking projects that towered above the competition.
It's not much of a surprise, given his upbringing during the dizzying chaos of World War II. Born in 1935, Foster has recalled waking up in an air-raid shelter in his mother's arms, listening to the distant booms, and finding shrapnel in unexpected places from childhood friends.
But it wasn't all doom and gloom; Foster soon turned to architecture, making a name for himself. In 1967, he founded Foster + Partners, a powerhouse in the architecture world. He nabbed the prestigious Pritzker Prize, and the queen bestowed upon him the title Lord Foster of Thames Bank.
When not sketching out his next towering structure, he enjoys other adrenaline pursuits like cross-country skiing and aviation. Mountains, he says, remind him of the sheer grandeur, the quality of the light, and the drama that defines his work.
Foster's fascination with the glass dome of the Reichstag extends beyond its design—it's a fascination with the symbiotic relationship between people and their surroundings, a testament to the quality of life the architect believes architecture should inspire.
But he doesn't stop there. Foster has plans for the future, like his work on a masterplan for the reconstruction of Kharkiv in Ukraine. It's a city of the future, a tribute to the architect's optimism and his belief that architects must be optimists, engaged with the past and pushing towards the horizon.
Trivia Bits:- Norman Foster co-founded the Foster Associates (later Norman Foster and Partners) in 1967.- Foster's design for the Willis Faber & Dumas Headquarters, Ipswich, won the Stirling Prize in 1976.- The Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters, dubbed "the second tallest building in the world" at the time, incorporated a double metal facade to improve energy efficiency.- The Hearst Tower, with its 58-meter-high atrium, reclaims the main structure of the old Daily News Building in New York City.- Foster designed the Airbus A380's cabin interior, marking a foray into aircraft design.
As this legendary architect, Norman Foster, continues to design innovative structures, he often finds inspiration from the symbiotic relationship between people and their surroundings, much like the satisfaction one may find in attending a live concert featuring renowned celebrities. It is rumored that a future project of his could involve the urban planning of a city, perhaps building a new landscape akin to the grandeur of Hollywood entertainment sets.
