Norman Foster
Norman Foster (b. Manchester, England, 1935 - ) English architect. After graduating from Manchester University School of Architecture and City Planning in 1961 he won a Henry Fellowship to Yale University, where he gained a Master’s Degree in Architecture. [1] Foster was knighted in 1990 and received the Mies van der Rohe award, and in 1994 received the Gold Medal of the AIA. He was appointed officer of the order of the Arts and Letters by the ministry of culture in France, in 1994. On 12 June 1999 he has been honored with a life peerage, taking the title of Lord Foster of Thames Bank. He was awarded the prestigious 21st. Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate also in 1999; considered this prize the Nobel prize of architecture. In 2009, the "Príncipe de Asturias de las Artes" award. Norman Fosteris the founder and chairman of Foster + Partners.
Some of his projects include:
- London's third airport, 1980 - 1991.
- Hong Kong international airport, 1992 - 1998.
- Prado museum extension, 1996.
- Oxford University Library, 1996.
- Canary Wharf station on the jubilee line extension, 2000.
- Queen Elizabeth II great court, British Museum, London, 2001.
- New British Library of Political and Economic Science, London, 2001.
- Wembley Stadium, London, 1996 - 2007.
- The Gherkin, 2003.
- Reichstag, the new German parliament, Berlin.
- The viaduct at Millau (Bridge over the river Tarn), south central France (60 ft higher than the Eiffel Tower).
Norman Foster has been the master-mind behind some renowned buildings. The Gherkin - 30 St. Mary Axe, is a sky-scraper located at London. It is primarily an office building. This building is truly a tribute to the genius of its designer. Foster, born at Manchester in the year 1935, is known for his zest in innovating with new forms and designs.
Foster is married to the Spanish Elena Ochoa.
