Foster and Partners

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Original synthesis to sit alongside the encyclopedia article below. Not part of Wikipedia; verify facts on Wikipedia when precision matters.

Foster and Partners is a globally renowned British integrated architectural and design practice, celebrated for its pioneering high-tech modernist, sustainability-focused landmark projects spanning commercial towers, transport hubs, cultural venues, and urban masterplans across more than 70 countries. Founded by leading architect Lord Norman Foster, the firm prioritizes collaborative engineering research, accessible public space design, and low-carbon construction innovation across its entire project portfolio.

Key moments

1967Established in London under the original name Foster Associates, following Norman Foster's exit from an earlier collaborative design practice
1990sRebranded to Foster and Partners to reflect the practice's expanding global team and multi-national project footprint
1999Founder Norman Foster, representing the firm, is awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the highest international honor in the architectural field
2000sCompleted a string of globally recognizable landmark projects including London's 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin) and Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3
2020sShifted core strategic focus to net-zero new build design and deep carbon retrofits of existing structures to align with global climate policy targets

Foster and Partners occupies a unique tier in the global premium architecture market, positioned between small, niche celebrity-led design studios and massive full-service engineering-focused design firms. Its decades of accumulated prestige allow it to secure both high-profile public government commissions and blue-chip corporate client projects that carry significant global public visibility. Its in-house team of structural engineers, sustainability specialists, and urban planners reduces reliance on external subcontractors for complex builds, a key advantage for fast-tracked large-scale projects.

Competes head-to-head with peer international design studios including Zaha Hadid Architects, OMA, BIG, and SOM for high-budget airport, skyscraper, and cultural institution commissions worldwide
Holds an outsized competitive advantage for UK and Western European public infrastructure projects due to over 50 years of local regulatory and stakeholder engagement experience
Maintains a distinct, widely recognizable brand identity tied to functional, forward-thinking high-tech design that avoids the overly idiosyncratic stylized branding of many smaller high-profile architecture studios
Has expanded into adjacent service lines including urban masterplanning, furniture product design, and carbon consulting to diversify revenue beyond one-off building design fees

Overview

Foster and Partners

type	Private company
founded	1967
founder	Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank
hq location city	London, England
hq location country	United Kingdom
area served	International
key people	Norman Foster (executive chairman) Spencer de Grey (Senior Partner, Head of Design) Stuart Latham (Managing Partner)‡R1R‡

History

industry	Architecture, engineering, urban planning

services	Architecture, Design, Industrial Design

revenue	£571.2 million

revenue year	2024/25

num employees	1,700‡R2R‡

num employees year	2025

website	fosterandpartners.com

The firm was established by Norman Foster in 1967,[9] shortly after leaving his first studio, Team 4.[12] The firm was originally called Foster Associates[13] before becoming Sir Norman Foster and Partners in 1992, then Foster & Partners in 1999, and finally Foster + Partners in 2006.[14]

The firm was chosen by Robert Sainsbury to design the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, which was completed in 1978.[15] Located at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England,[16] the 500 foot-long steel structure was designed to house the Sainsbury’s art collection, and was the firm’s first public building.

Services

Foster + Partners is a multidisciplinary practice.[28] The firm has six studios which provide a range of services related to architecture and design.[29] The firm maintains an in-house engineering practice that includes structural and environmental engineering,[30] and the Foster + Partners industrial design studio develops products at both commercial and standalone scale, including furniture and lighting.[31]

The firm has led large-scale projects through its urban design and masterplanning studio[32] including the master plan for the rebuilding of the Hatay Province in Turkey following the 2023 earthquakes that devastated the region.[33]

Notable projects

Notable projects ordered by year of completion and type:

Masterplans

More London, London, UK (1998–2000)
Duisburg Inner Harbour, Germany (1991–2003)
Trafalgar Square redevelopment, London, UK (1996–2003)
Quartermile, Edinburgh, Scotland (2001–)
Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2007–)
West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong (2009)
Thames Hub, UK (2011–)
Central Square, Cardiff, Wales
Amaravati, India (under construction)[34]

Awards

1998 RIBA Stirling Prize for Imperial War Museum

2000 Welsh National Eisteddfod Gold Medal for the Great Glasshouse, National Botanic Garden of Wales[62]

2003 MIPIM AR Future Projects Award, Grand Prix for Swiss Re

2004 RIBA Stirling Prize for Swiss Re

2007 RIBA European Award for Dresden Station Redevelopment

2007 RIBA International Award for Hearst Tower

2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture for University of Technology Petronas

2008 2008 LEAF Award for Beijing Airport Terminal 3

2009 RIBA European Award for Zenith

2009 2009 RIBA International Award for Beijing Airport Terminal 3

Criticism

In June 2008, The Guardian criticized real estate development in a pristine seacoast area in Bulgaria, which was under EU environmental protection. The paper cited environmentalists' concerns over the impact of the planned 15,000-inhabitant resort facilities. The Bulgarian partner Georgi Stanishev, is the brother of Sergey Stanishev, who served as the Prime Minister of Bulgaria between 2005 and 2009 and is also the Leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party.[70]

Tallest buildings

This list ranks buildings which stand over 750 ft tall that are designed by Foster + Partners.[71] Spires and other architectural details are included in the height of a building, however, antennas are excluded.

In order for a building to be in this list, the building itself must have been designed or partially designed by Foster + Partners. Due to this, buildings such as the Transamerica Pyramid and 383 Madison Avenue are not included in this list.

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Foster and Partners

BrandAI briefing

History

Services

Notable projects

Masterplans

Awards

Criticism

Tallest buildings

See also

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Selected works