Nine for 90: a selection of Norman Foster’s best buildings
Willis Building, 1975
Source:Nigel YoungWillis Building by Foster + Partners
Located in Ipswich, Foster + Partners’ office for insurance company Willis Faber & Dumas features a swimming pool, roof-top garden and restaurant.
Often used as an example of early high-tech buildings, the office hosts around 1,300 staff across open-plan offices and flexible spaces, which were said to be untraditional at the time. These spaces are spread over three floors connected by escalators which were innovative in the 1970s, particularly in offices.
Outside, in contrast, the building reinforces rather than confronts the urban grain, with its free-form plan and low-rise construction responding to the scale of surrounding buildings, while its curved façade maintains a relationship to the medieval street pattern.Advertisement
about the project in AJ Buildings Library.
Sainsbury Centre, 1978
Source:Ken KirkwoodSainsbury Centre by Foster + Partners
This School of Fine Art and art centre was designed to house a collection gifted to the University of East Anglia by Sir Robert and Lady Sainsbury.
The design incorporates structural and service elements within the double-layer walls and roof. Within this shell is a free-flowing sequence of spaces that incorporates a conservatory reception area, coffee bar, exhibition areas, the Faculty of Fine Art, senior common rooms and a restaurant.
Full-height windows at either end of the structure allow the surrounding landscape to form a backdrop to the exhibition and dining areas, while aluminium louvres, linked to light sensors, line the interior to provide an infinitely flexible system for the control of natural and artificial light.
about the project in AJ Buildings Library.Advertisement
Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, 1985
Source:Ian LambotHong Kong and Shanghai Bank by Foster + Partners
Completed in 1985, this Hong Kong bank tower has no internal supporting structure, allowing for a naturally bright, 10-story atrium. used a high degree of prefabricated elements
The project was completed in less than three years and tight schedule requirements meant that the practice turned toward the use of prefabricated and factory-finished elements. With a suspension structure, the tower is expressed externally as a stepped building formed of three individual towers with heights of 29, 36 and 44 storeys. This formation creates floors of varying widths and depths inside, accommodating garden terraces.
Bridges span between floors, while a mirrored sun scoop reflects sunlight through the atrium to a public plaza below.
Discover more about this project in AJ Buildings Library.
Millennium Bridge, 2000
Source:Nigel YoungMillennium Bridge by Foster + Partners
Foster + Partners’ Millennium Bridge spans 320m across the River Thames.
Completed in 2000, the construction of the bridge marked the first new crossing on this part of the river in over a century. For pedestrian use only, the shallow suspension bridge’s structure is supported by cables that never rise more than 2.3m above the deck, which lets the bridge enjoy uninterrupted views of London.
Find out more about the project in AJ Buildings Library.
30 St Mary Axe, 2003
Source:Nigel Young30 St Mary Axe by Foster + Partners
London’s first ecological tall building and an iconic addition to the city’s skyline, 30 St Mary Axe, also known as The Gherkin, was commissioned to hold the London headquarters of insurance company Swiss Re.
Set around a radial plan, its iconic enclosure was designed to be energy-conscious. Merging the walls and roof into a continuous triangulated skin allowed for a column-free floor space, maximising natural light and views.
The double-glazed cladding sits outside of the structural gridshell. Inside the building are office spaces as well as a shopping arcade accessed from a newly created public plaza. The triangular atria, which have the planning benefit of leaving the office spaces almost rectangular, also provide greater daylight penetration.
Discover more about this project in AJ Buildings Library.
Millau Viaduct, 2004
Source:Nigel YoungMillau Viaduct by Foster + Partners
Designed with engineer Michel Virlogeux, the 2.46km-long cable-stayed bridge formed a crucial transport link in the Paris to Barcelona motorway across a valley in south-west France. It has the highest elevated roadway in the world, with its deck set 270m above the River Tarn.
Supported on seven concrete piers of varying heights, the bridge has a 3 per cent slope from south to north to encourage drainage. A gentle curve as the bridge approaches the northern plateau helps wind resistance. Both these factors work aesthetically too, accentuating the sense that the structure is tailored precisely to a specific site.
Each of its sections spans 342m and its columns range in height from 75m to 245m, with the masts rising a further 90m above the road deck.
Find out more in AJ Buildings Library.
Wembley Stadium, 2007
Source:Nigel YoungWembley Stadium by Foster + Partners
A collaboration with sports design specialists Populous, Foster + Partners’ arena replaced the old Wembley Stadium, which was one of the most important sports venues in Britain. With a 90,000 capacity and a retractable roof, the new structure was designed to maximise spectator enjoyment and retain the stadium’s iconic status
The geometry and steeply raked seating tiers ensure that every spectator in the 90,000-capacity stadium has an unobstructed view of the pitch.
The stadium has a retractable roof that allows the turf to get sufficient sunlight and air, while in poor weather it can be closed to cover the entire seating bowl. The roof is supported structurally by a 133m-high arch that towers above the stadium, providing an icon and a new London landmark.
about Wembley Stadium in AJ Buildings Library.
Image, top: Photo by Nigel Young
Maggie’s Manchester, 2016
Source:Nigel YoungMaggie's Manchester by Foster + Partners
This cancer care centre in Manchester uses landscaping and greenery to help create a therapeutic sanctuary.
The 500m², single-storey building is focused around a garden. At the eastern side adjoining the car park the garden is broken up into small courtyards, offering private spaces leading from each of the centre’s counselling rooms. To the west, the garden is more open and offers a threshold between the street and the centre. Meanwhile, a greenhouse with a faceted glass façade echoes the building’s triangular rooflights.
Naturally illuminated by these triangular rooflights, the building is supported by lightweight timber lattice beams. These beams act as natural partitions between different internal areas, visually dissolving the architecture into the surrounding gardens.
Discover more about this project in AJ Buildings Library.
Bloomberg London, 2017
Source:Nigel YoungBloomberg HQ by Foster + Partners
Foster + Partners’ £1 billion European HQ for business news giant Bloomberg is ambitious, accomplished and lavish.
The fins, 117 in total, are the building’s way of ‘breathing’, with each section opening or closing depending on exterior conditions. This allows air to flow into the building while keeping external noise to a minimum, as well as filtering incoming air.
Chunky stone corners and shear walls form part of the sandstone façade, with muscular poché sections fitted with thermal doors allowing air to circulate through the structure.
Discover more about the HQ in AJ Buildings Library.
Foster + Partners Norman Foster 2025-05-29
Katie Last
comment and share
#nine #selection #norman #fosters #best
Nine for 90: a selection of Norman Foster’s best buildings
Willis Building, 1975
Source:Nigel YoungWillis Building by Foster + Partners
Located in Ipswich, Foster + Partners’ office for insurance company Willis Faber & Dumas features a swimming pool, roof-top garden and restaurant.
Often used as an example of early high-tech buildings, the office hosts around 1,300 staff across open-plan offices and flexible spaces, which were said to be untraditional at the time. These spaces are spread over three floors connected by escalators which were innovative in the 1970s, particularly in offices.
Outside, in contrast, the building reinforces rather than confronts the urban grain, with its free-form plan and low-rise construction responding to the scale of surrounding buildings, while its curved façade maintains a relationship to the medieval street pattern.Advertisement
about the project in AJ Buildings Library.
Sainsbury Centre, 1978
Source:Ken KirkwoodSainsbury Centre by Foster + Partners
This School of Fine Art and art centre was designed to house a collection gifted to the University of East Anglia by Sir Robert and Lady Sainsbury.
The design incorporates structural and service elements within the double-layer walls and roof. Within this shell is a free-flowing sequence of spaces that incorporates a conservatory reception area, coffee bar, exhibition areas, the Faculty of Fine Art, senior common rooms and a restaurant.
Full-height windows at either end of the structure allow the surrounding landscape to form a backdrop to the exhibition and dining areas, while aluminium louvres, linked to light sensors, line the interior to provide an infinitely flexible system for the control of natural and artificial light.
about the project in AJ Buildings Library.Advertisement
Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, 1985
Source:Ian LambotHong Kong and Shanghai Bank by Foster + Partners
Completed in 1985, this Hong Kong bank tower has no internal supporting structure, allowing for a naturally bright, 10-story atrium. used a high degree of prefabricated elements
The project was completed in less than three years and tight schedule requirements meant that the practice turned toward the use of prefabricated and factory-finished elements. With a suspension structure, the tower is expressed externally as a stepped building formed of three individual towers with heights of 29, 36 and 44 storeys. This formation creates floors of varying widths and depths inside, accommodating garden terraces.
Bridges span between floors, while a mirrored sun scoop reflects sunlight through the atrium to a public plaza below.
Discover more about this project in AJ Buildings Library.
Millennium Bridge, 2000
Source:Nigel YoungMillennium Bridge by Foster + Partners
Foster + Partners’ Millennium Bridge spans 320m across the River Thames.
Completed in 2000, the construction of the bridge marked the first new crossing on this part of the river in over a century. For pedestrian use only, the shallow suspension bridge’s structure is supported by cables that never rise more than 2.3m above the deck, which lets the bridge enjoy uninterrupted views of London.
Find out more about the project in AJ Buildings Library.
30 St Mary Axe, 2003
Source:Nigel Young30 St Mary Axe by Foster + Partners
London’s first ecological tall building and an iconic addition to the city’s skyline, 30 St Mary Axe, also known as The Gherkin, was commissioned to hold the London headquarters of insurance company Swiss Re.
Set around a radial plan, its iconic enclosure was designed to be energy-conscious. Merging the walls and roof into a continuous triangulated skin allowed for a column-free floor space, maximising natural light and views.
The double-glazed cladding sits outside of the structural gridshell. Inside the building are office spaces as well as a shopping arcade accessed from a newly created public plaza. The triangular atria, which have the planning benefit of leaving the office spaces almost rectangular, also provide greater daylight penetration.
Discover more about this project in AJ Buildings Library.
Millau Viaduct, 2004
Source:Nigel YoungMillau Viaduct by Foster + Partners
Designed with engineer Michel Virlogeux, the 2.46km-long cable-stayed bridge formed a crucial transport link in the Paris to Barcelona motorway across a valley in south-west France. It has the highest elevated roadway in the world, with its deck set 270m above the River Tarn.
Supported on seven concrete piers of varying heights, the bridge has a 3 per cent slope from south to north to encourage drainage. A gentle curve as the bridge approaches the northern plateau helps wind resistance. Both these factors work aesthetically too, accentuating the sense that the structure is tailored precisely to a specific site.
Each of its sections spans 342m and its columns range in height from 75m to 245m, with the masts rising a further 90m above the road deck.
Find out more in AJ Buildings Library.
Wembley Stadium, 2007
Source:Nigel YoungWembley Stadium by Foster + Partners
A collaboration with sports design specialists Populous, Foster + Partners’ arena replaced the old Wembley Stadium, which was one of the most important sports venues in Britain. With a 90,000 capacity and a retractable roof, the new structure was designed to maximise spectator enjoyment and retain the stadium’s iconic status
The geometry and steeply raked seating tiers ensure that every spectator in the 90,000-capacity stadium has an unobstructed view of the pitch.
The stadium has a retractable roof that allows the turf to get sufficient sunlight and air, while in poor weather it can be closed to cover the entire seating bowl. The roof is supported structurally by a 133m-high arch that towers above the stadium, providing an icon and a new London landmark.
about Wembley Stadium in AJ Buildings Library.
Image, top: Photo by Nigel Young
Maggie’s Manchester, 2016
Source:Nigel YoungMaggie's Manchester by Foster + Partners
This cancer care centre in Manchester uses landscaping and greenery to help create a therapeutic sanctuary.
The 500m², single-storey building is focused around a garden. At the eastern side adjoining the car park the garden is broken up into small courtyards, offering private spaces leading from each of the centre’s counselling rooms. To the west, the garden is more open and offers a threshold between the street and the centre. Meanwhile, a greenhouse with a faceted glass façade echoes the building’s triangular rooflights.
Naturally illuminated by these triangular rooflights, the building is supported by lightweight timber lattice beams. These beams act as natural partitions between different internal areas, visually dissolving the architecture into the surrounding gardens.
Discover more about this project in AJ Buildings Library.
Bloomberg London, 2017
Source:Nigel YoungBloomberg HQ by Foster + Partners
Foster + Partners’ £1 billion European HQ for business news giant Bloomberg is ambitious, accomplished and lavish.
The fins, 117 in total, are the building’s way of ‘breathing’, with each section opening or closing depending on exterior conditions. This allows air to flow into the building while keeping external noise to a minimum, as well as filtering incoming air.
Chunky stone corners and shear walls form part of the sandstone façade, with muscular poché sections fitted with thermal doors allowing air to circulate through the structure.
Discover more about the HQ in AJ Buildings Library.
Foster + Partners Norman Foster 2025-05-29
Katie Last
comment and share
#nine #selection #norman #fosters #best
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