The largest Norman Foster retrospective opened at the Centre Pompidou

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The largest retrospective spanning the oeuvre of Norman Foster’s work over the last six decades has opened at the Centre Pompidou.

The exhibition 'Norman Foster' has been curated by Frédéric Migayrou, Deputy Director of the MNAM-CCI (Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre de Création Industrielle), designed by Norman Foster and executed in collaboration with Foster + Partners and the Norman Foster Foundation.
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Covering nearly 2,200 square-metres, the exhibition reviews the different periods of the architect’s work, highlighting seminal projects, such as the headquarters of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Headquarters (Hong Kong, 1979-1986), the Carré d’Art (Nîmes, 1984-1993), Hong Kong International Airport (1992-1998) and Apple Park (Cupertino, United States, 2009-2017).
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Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners and President, Norman Foster Foundation: “This exhibition traces the themes of sustainability and anticipating the future. The birth of the practice in the 1960’s coincided with the first signs of an awareness of the fragility of the planet. These were the green shoots of what would later be named The Green Movement. These principles may now be mainstream but more than half a century ago they were revolutionary and anticipated the reality of today. Throughout the decades we have sought to challenge conventions, reinvent building types and demonstrate an architecture of light and lightness, inspired by nature, which can be about joy as well as being eco-friendly.”
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The exhibition explores the architect’s work through an unprecedented selection of his sketches and drawings and the prism of seven themes: Nature and Urbanity; Skin and Bones; Vertical City; History and Tradition; Planning and Places; Networks and Mobility and Future.

Drawings, sketches, original scale models and dioramas, along with many videos, will enable visitors to delve into approximately 130 major projects.

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Welcoming visitors at the entrance to the exhibition, a drawing gallery showcases items never seen before in France, consisting of drawings, sketchbooks, sketches and photographs taken by the architect.
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Illustrating a resonance with Foster’s architecture, the display includes works by Fernand Léger, Constantin Brancusi, Umberto Boccioni and Ai Weiwei, along with industrial creations, such as a glider and several classic automobiles, which have often served as sources of inspiration.
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A 264-page catalogue accompanies the exhibition, presenting the architect's work through the prism of eighty of his most significant projects. This monograph features three portfolios that showcase Foster’s early sources of inspiration, projects conducted in collaboration with Richard Buckminster Fuller, and other drawings and sketches. This collective volume is published by Editions du Centre Pompidou, under the direction of Frédéric Migayrou, curator of the exhibition.
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The Bloomberg Connects app offers a free digital guide to the exhibition. Using their personal smartphones or tablets, visitors can scan QR codes within the exhibition space to read or listen to Norman Foster’s personal introductions to each section. They can also explore a wide range of projects in more detail, from never-before-seen videos and drawings to 360 virtual reality tours. 

Norman Foster
10 May - 7 August 2023
Galerie 1, Level 6
Centre Pompidou, Paris
For tickets and more information visit: Centre Pompidou

 

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Press release and photos courtesy of Foster + Partners

Photos ©Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

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    Norman Foster

    Paris / France / 2023