Norman Foster

Date of Birth: June 1, 1935

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Biography

Norman Foster, born Norman Robert Foster, is a British architect whose innovative and futuristic designs have significantly influenced modern architecture. He was born on June 1, 1935, in Reddish, Stockport, England. Foster is the founder and chairman of Foster + Partners, an international architectural firm recognized for its high-tech architecture and eco-friendly designs. Foster’s interest in architecture began at an early age, and he pursued his passion by studying at the Manchester School of Architecture and later at Yale University, where he earned a Master’s degree in Architecture. His early career included a partnership with Richard Rogers, leading to the establishment of Team 4, an influential architectural firm that emphasized modernist and high-tech designs. In 1967, he founded Foster Associates, which later became Foster + Partners. Throughout his career, Norman Foster has been responsible for some of the world’s most iconic buildings and structures, including the HSBC Building in Hong Kong, the Millennium Bridge in London, the Hearst Tower in New York City, and the restored Reichstag in Berlin. His work is characterized by a commitment to sustainability, innovation, and the integration of technology. Foster has received numerous awards and honors, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1999, often regarded as the Nobel Prize of architecture. He was also knighted in 1990 and made a life peer in 1999, becoming Baron Foster of Thames Bank.

5 Interesting Facts about Norman Foster

1. Norman Foster was knighted in 1990 and made a life peer in 1999, becoming Baron Foster of Thames Bank.

2. He won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1999, one of the highest honors in the field of architecture.

3. Foster + Partners, his architectural firm, has designed projects in over 75 countries.

4. He was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2002 but made a full recovery.

5. Norman Foster is an avid aviator and has a private pilot’s license.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Norman Foster

1. “As an architect, you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.”

2. “Architecture is an expression of values.”

3. “Everything we design is a response to the specific climate and culture of a particular place.”

4. “If you weren’t an optimist, it would be impossible to be an architect.”

5. “I’m not a believer in the finite. I think that the future is infinite.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Norman Foster’s highest net worth has been estimated to be around $240 million.

Children

Norman Foster has five children. He had four children with his first wife, Wendy Cheesman: sons Jonathan and Robert, and daughters Sophie and Harriet. His fifth child, a son named Marcus, was born to his third wife, Elena Ochoa.