Norman Foster
Norman Foster
Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank of Reddish, OM, HonFREngis a British architect whose company, Foster + Partners, maintains an international design practice famous for high-tech architecture...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth13 December 1903
nowhere travel
I travel continuously, and I see many cities, but there is nowhere like London.
design endless tip
I describe the design process as like the tip of the iceberg. What you don't see is the long haul: all the endless auditing and things like that.
amazing climbed close combined lesson lightness precision strength time
The most amazing lesson in aerodynamics I ever had was the day I climbed a thermal in a glider at the same time as an eagle. I witnessed, close up, effortlessness and lightness combined with strength, precision and determination.
earned far jobs money pay quite salesman time took tuition university variety whatever
In Britain, the idea one could go from blue-collar beginnings to the university was so far out, it was quite unthinkable. I took a variety of jobs to pay for tuition - from ice-cream salesman to night-club bouncer. Whatever earned the most money in the least time.
almost certainly gives heightens illness perhaps precious state taken
A life-threatening illness or two certainly gives you an awareness of your own mortality. It heightens your sense of gratitude for things that previously, if you've not taken them for granted, you perhaps never appreciated how precious they were. That's almost a platitude, but one has to state the obvious.
architects role vital
Architects have a vital role as advocates of sustainable solutions.
air amount carbon fresh good sealed terms
It is not a sealed building. It delivers a lot of fresh air -- 40 times the amount of fresh air. That is good in terms of carbon emissions. It is also good in terms of energy,
climate create culture mission sensitive structure
My mission is to create a structure that is sensitive to the culture and climate of its place.
san-francisco car google
Google has already tested robot cars in San Francisco. If they can navigate San Francisco, they can probably manage just about anywhere.
moving ties people
I tend to move between turtlenecks and shirts and ties. I don't really have a uniform in the sense that some people might.
thinking vision wish
Didn't think her vision was consistent with the ORC, especially the way the Council wishes to work with the ORC. For example, with regard to the zoning ordinance, the Council sees a comprehensive approach, the ORC wants to review the ordinances and simplify them. Pam's vision was counter to that.
distance space generosity
I hope that any expansion of London will learn from the planning examples of some of its most desirable areas such as Chelsea, Notting Hill, Belgravia and Mayfair. All are characterised by high density and a generosity of green spaces. They are all pedestrian-friendly with shops, entertainment, restaurants and pubs within easy walking distance.
design firsts sketching
I was born in 1935, and as far back as I can remember, I was sketching designs. My first subject was an aircraft, which I imagined myself piloting.
mobility citing building
You cannot separate the buildings out from the infrastructure of cites and the mobility of transit.