Norman Foster: Biography, Designs, and Innovations

This article forms part of the Decorative and Applied Arts Encyclopedia, a master reference hub providing a structured overview of design history, materials, movements, and practitioners.

Tecno Nomos Table by Norman Foster

Norman Foster (b.1935) British architect and designer

Norman Foster (b.1935) is a British architect and designer. He was born in Manchester and is currently based in London.

Education

Until 1961, he attended Manchester University, majoring in architecture and urbanism. After that, he attended Yale University, where he studied architecture.

Embed from Getty Images

Biography

In 1963, he launched his career as an architect, and in 1965, he co-founded the architecture firm Team 4 with his wife, Wendy Foster, Su Rogers, and Richard Rogers. (With Richard Rogers) he became a pioneer of high-tech design based on developing an architectural aesthetic determined by modern technology, equipment, and fittings. This pioneering work was done in collaboration with Su Rogers and Richard Rogers.

Foster Associates and Partners

Following 1967, the company was known as Foster Associates and comprised eleven partners, including Norman and Wendy Foster. The other partners were Loren Butt and Chubby S. Chhabra, Spencer de Gray and Roy Fleetwood, Birkin Haward, James Meller, Graham Phillips, and Mark Robertson.

Collaborations and Lecturing

Foster worked with Buckminster Fuller and lectured around the United States and Europe between 1968 and 1983.

Design Philosophy and Innovations

He was famous for creating neutral rooms that could accommodate various distinct functions according to the occupants’ needs. He created the Nomos furniture system, which was manufactured in Italy by Tecno between 1986 and 1988. The Tecno system was a configuration of workstations and tables composed of aluminium, plastic, and steel. The structure of the system was exposed, revealing its workings.

Notable Designs and Projects

Erco manufactured his lighting system for Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank in 1986. In 1988, he designed rugs for the Dialog line at Vorwerk in Germany.

Professional Memberships and Roles

He was a member of the council and an honorary member of the Royal College of Art in London. He served as vice president of the Architectural Association in London. Bund Deutscher Architekten: member. The International Academy of Architecture is located in Sofia.

Architecture

Buildings included;

  • 1971 passenger terminal and administration building. Fred
  • Olsen Lines, London: 1975 Willis-Faber and Dumas building Ipswich:
  • 1978 Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, near Norwich;
  • 1979-86 Hammersmith Centre London:
  • 1981 Renault distribution centre. Swindon:
  • Hongkong and Shanghai Bank headquarters, Hong Kong:
  • 1990 Stansted Airport, Essex:
  • Century Tower, Hong Kong:
  • Maison de la Culture, Nîmes.

Recognition

  • In 1983, received a gold medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects.
  • Work was shown at the New York Museum of Modern Art: Royal Academy, London:
  • and exhibitions, including 1979 Transformations in Modern Architecture and 1983 3 Skyscrapers, both New York Museum of Modern Art.
  • Nomos furniture was shown at the 1991 Mobili Italiani 1961-1991: Le Varie Età dei linguaggi exhibition in Milan.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL

More on Furniture Design

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

More design articles

Discover more from Encyclopedia of Design

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.