Foster + Partners
Professional services
UnclaimedAn internationally operating British architecture, engineering and design practice associated with high-tech architecture, integrated technology and sustainable urbanism.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Foster + Partners is a British international architecture and design practice headquartered in London. Founded in 1967 by architect and designer Norman Foster after his departure from Team 4, the practice developed from a technologically ambitious architectural studio into a multidisciplinary organization working across architecture, engineering, urban design, masterplanning, interior design and industrial design. Its projects range from individual products and interiors to airports, transport systems, bridges, cultural institutions, offices, stadiums, residential developments and entire urban districts. The practice became closely associated with the high-tech architecture movement through its early use of exposed structural systems, lightweight materials, modular planning and industrial construction methods. Its work has nevertheless extended well beyond a single stylistic label. Foster + Partners has repeatedly combined structural engineering, environmental analysis, daylighting, energy management and digital modeling in an effort to make large buildings more efficient and adaptable. The firm’s design approach often emphasizes clear circulation, flexible floor plates, large spans, public accessibility and a visible relationship between architecture and infrastructure. Early commissions established the firm’s reputation in Britain. The Willis Building in Ipswich demonstrated the practice’s interest in flexible office planning, while the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia became its first major public building. International recognition followed the commission for the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong, a highly complex office tower assembled from modular components and designed around a large internal atrium. Later projects expanded the firm’s profile across Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia. Among its best-known works are the renovation of the Reichstag in Berlin, which introduced a publicly accessible glass cupola and a new environmental strategy; 30 St Mary Axe in London, commonly called the Gherkin; the Millau Viaduct in southern France; Hong Kong International Airport; the Hearst Tower in New York; Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3; Wembley Stadium; London City Hall; Apple Park in Cupertino; and Bloomberg’s European headquarters in London. The portfolio also includes museums, opera houses, universities, research facilities, retail environments and major transportation infrastructure. The practice has also undertaken large-scale planning and regeneration assignments. These include More London, the redevelopment of Trafalgar Square, Masdar City, the West Kowloon Cultural District, the Thames Hub proposals and post-earthquake planning work in Turkey’s Hatay Province. Its urban work generally seeks to coordinate architecture with public space, mobility, landscape, infrastructure and environmental performance rather than treating individual buildings as isolated objects. Foster + Partners is privately held and has undergone changes in ownership while remaining under the influence of Norman Foster. Private-equity firm 3i acquired a stake in 2007; the firm’s partners bought that stake back in 2014. In 2021, Canadian investment company Hennick & Company acquired a stake, becoming the largest single shareholder, while Foster retained control. The practice continues to operate internationally through a network of studios and offices, with projects at different stages of completion across multiple continents. It has received major professional recognition, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize and several RIBA Stirling Prize-related honors.
History
Foster + Partners was established in London in 1967 by Norman Foster after he left Team 4, the studio he had operated with Richard and Su Brumwell, Wendy Cheesman and Georgie Wolton. The new practice was initially known as Foster Associates. From the outset, its work combined architectural design with structural thinking, industrial production methods and a strong interest in the relationship between buildings and technology. The firm’s first major public building was the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia, completed in 1978. Its long, steel-framed volume and flexible interior demonstrated how an art institution could be designed as an adaptable piece of infrastructure rather than a sequence of conventional galleries. The project helped establish the practice in Britain and led to a wider range of cultural, educational and commercial commissions. A major international breakthrough came in 1979, when the practice won the competition for the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong. Completed in 1986, the tower used a highly engineered suspended structural system and modular components assembled in a demanding urban environment. The building attracted global attention for exposing its technical logic and for the scale of its internal public space. During the following decades, the practice designed offices, transport facilities, bridges and cultural buildings across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. The practice’s institutional and civic reputation grew through projects such as the Sackler Galleries at the Royal Academy of Arts, the Carré d’Art in Nîmes, the American Air Museum at Duxford and the Great Court redevelopment at the British Museum. Its transportation portfolio expanded through Stansted Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Canary Wharf Underground station, Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3 and Queen Alia International Airport. These projects gave the firm experience in complex circulation systems, large-span structures, passenger flows and climate-responsive building design. In 1992, Foster + Partners won the competition to renovate Berlin’s Reichstag. Completed in 1999, the project preserved the historic building while adding a glass cupola and a public route above the parliamentary chamber. The design used reflected daylight and natural ventilation as part of a broader environmental strategy. The Reichstag became one of the firm’s most recognizable works and an example of its method of combining historic conservation with contemporary technology. The practice also became prominent in tall buildings and large-scale infrastructure. The Millau Viaduct in France, constructed from 2001 and completed in 2004, carried a motorway across the Tarn valley on a series of slender piers. In London, 30 St Mary Axe, completed in 2004 for Swiss Re, introduced a distinctive aerodynamic form and a diagrid structural system to the city skyline. Other notable office projects included the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt, the Hearst Tower in New York, the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking and Bloomberg’s European headquarters in London. Organizationally, the firm expanded as its international workload increased. In 1992 it adopted the name Sir Norman Foster and Partners, later using Foster & Partners and then Foster + Partners. In 2003, Norman Foster divided the architectural staff into six studios led by partners, supporting a larger and more distributed practice. The firm’s scope broadened beyond architecture to include in-house structural and environmental engineering, urban design, masterplanning, interiors and industrial design. In 2007, 3i acquired a stake in the practice. The partners subsequently bought the stake back in June 2014, restoring complete ownership by the partnership at that time. In 2021, Hennick & Company acquired an undisclosed stake and became the largest single shareholder, although Norman Foster retained a controlling interest. The Apple Park commission, begun after Steve Jobs approached the practice in 2009, became one of the firm’s most widely publicized corporate projects. Foster + Partners developed the 75-acre Cupertino campus as a highly integrated circular building and landscape environment. Construction began during the following decade and the campus opened in 2017. The project illustrated the practice’s continuing involvement in technically complex workplaces and its ability to coordinate architecture, landscape, interiors and product-level design. More recent work has included airports, metro stations, office towers, cultural buildings and urban regeneration. The firm has also participated in planning for the reconstruction of Turkey’s Hatay Province after the 2023 earthquakes. Across its history, Foster + Partners has maintained a global, multidisciplinary model in which architectural form is developed alongside engineering, environmental analysis, mobility and public-realm considerations. Its work has received major international recognition, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize and RIBA Stirling Prize awards.
- 2023
Hatay reconstruction planning work
[1]The practice participated in masterplanning for the rebuilding of Turkey’s earthquake-affected Hatay Province.
- 2021
Hennick & Company becomes largest single shareholder
[1]The Canadian private investor acquired a stake while Norman Foster retained control.
- 2017
Apple Park opens
[1]The Foster-designed Apple headquarters in Cupertino began operation.
- 2014
Partner ownership restored
[1]The firm’s partners bought back the stake held by 3i.
- 2007
3i acquires a stake
[1]Private-equity firm 3i became an investor in the practice.
- 2004
Millau Viaduct and 30 St Mary Axe completed
[1]Two landmark projects reinforced the practice’s reputation in infrastructure and high-rise design.
- 2003
Architectural studio structure introduced
[1]The practice organized its architectural staff into six studios led by partners.
- 1999
Reichstag redevelopment completed
[1]The project combined historic conservation with a new public cupola and environmental systems.
- 1992
Reichstag renovation competition won
[1]Foster + Partners was selected to redevelop Germany’s historic parliamentary building in Berlin.
- 1986
HSBC Headquarters completed
[1]The Hong Kong tower established the firm as a major international practice in complex commercial architecture.
Products and positioning
Premium, internationally oriented and multidisciplinary architecture and design focused on innovation, engineering integration, environmental performance and major civic or commercial projects.
Architecture · 1967
Architectural design
The firm designs buildings across commercial, civic, cultural, educational, residential, leisure and transportation sectors. Its architectural work commonly integrates structural systems, environmental analysis, circulation planning and public space from the early stages of design.
Urban planning
Urban design and masterplanning
Foster + Partners works at district and city scale on regeneration, new settlements, transport-oriented development and public-realm strategies. Examples include More London, Masdar City, the West Kowloon Cultural District and post-earthquake planning in Hatay.
Engineering services
Engineering and environmental design
The practice maintains in-house structural and environmental capabilities, allowing building form, materials, energy use, daylight, ventilation and construction systems to be developed together with architectural design.
Industrial design
Industrial and product design
The industrial design studio develops products and components at commercial and standalone scale, including furniture, lighting and related objects. This extends the practice’s interest in manufacturing, material efficiency and integrated design beyond buildings.
Brand decisions
2021
Accept investment from Hennick & CompanyM&ABackground
The privately held practice accepted an investment from a Canadian private investor.
Action taken
Hennick & Company acquired an undisclosed stake and became the largest single shareholder, while Norman Foster retained control.
Aftermath
The practice remained privately held and continued operating under Foster’s controlling interest.
2014
Buy back 3i’s stakeM&ABackground
After 3i had invested in the practice in 2007, the partners sought to restore complete ownership.
Action taken
Approximately 140 partners bought back the stake held by 3i.
Aftermath
The practice returned to complete partner ownership until the later investment by Hennick & Company.
2009
Develop Apple’s new Cupertino headquartersOtherBackground
Steve Jobs approached Foster + Partners to transform a large former site in Cupertino into Apple’s corporate headquarters.
Action taken
The practice developed the architectural, landscape and integrated design for the campus later known as Apple Park.
Aftermath
Apple Park opened in 2017 and became one of the firm’s most prominent corporate projects.
2003
Reorganize the practice into six architectural studiosStrategyBackground
The firm was expanding internationally and handling a growing range of building types and geographic markets.
Action taken
Architectural staff were divided into six studios, each led by partners.
Aftermath
The structure supported a larger multidisciplinary practice while retaining partner-led design leadership.
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