Foster and Partners (also Foster + Partners) is a British international architecture firm based in London, England, founded in 1967 by British architect and designer Lord Norman Foster. Foster and Partners was involved of the design of major projects around the world such the Gherkin in London, the Hearst Tower in New York City, the 1990s renovation of the Reichstag in Berlin, the Millau Viaduct in France, and Hong Kong International Airport. In addition to architectural design, the firm’s practice encompasses engineering and industrial design. As of 2021, the firm had approximately 1,500 employees in New York City, Hong Kong, and Madrid. The firm has won the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the Stirling Prize.

History

The firm was established by Norman Foster in 1967 shortly after leaving his first studio, Team 4. The firm was originally called Foster Associates before the name was changed to Foster & Partners in 1999. In 2007, the private equity company 3i took a stake in the practice. The practice regained complete ownership in June 2014, when the 140 partners bought it back. In October 2021, Foster + Partners was bought for an undisclosed sum by a Canadian private investment firm, Hennick & Company, which became the single biggest shareholder of the practice. Foster retains a controlling interest.

Notable projects

Notable projects ordered by year of completion and type:

Masterplans

Airports

Bridges

Government

Cultural

Higher education

Sport

Transportation

Office

Leisure

Mixed use

Residential

Retail

Current

Selected works

Awards

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.