Foster + Partners

England

Foster+Partners under the direction of Lord Norman Foster, is a highly productive studio which stands on the banks of the Thames. The long list of partners, design groups and associates on the studioís web site is impressive. This is architecture, project and design at the highest levels: more than 300 prizes and awards for excellence in design, more than 60 competitions won. And a clear philosophy: ìwe believe that the quality of what surrounds us has a direct influence on the quality of our livesî. Set up in 1967, the studio has offices all over the world and manages projects in 22 countries. It designed the biggest airport in the world in Beijing. The new Reichstag in Berlin. The subway in Bilbao. The Great Court of the British Museum and the Millenium Bridge in London. Technology and innovation are the order of the day for Lord Foster of Thames Bank, who won the 21st Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1999. In design too the work of Foster and his studio stands out for its quality, functional aspects and technological innovation. All aimed at one element: the ìhuman dimensionî, from the knowledge that architecture and design derive from the needs of human beings. Foster+Partners worked for Molteni&C. for the first time in 2006 with Still, presented at the Milan Furniture Exhibition. A light sofa which has a strong impact with an airy structure, suspended from steel supports. In this design the ideas of comfort and formal minimalism go together with modern technology.