SIR FOSTER’S NEW HUB

After years of planning, the Norman Foster Foundation has finally opened

Housed in a heritage-listed palace originally built in 1912, the Norman Foster Foundation is a compelling mix of old and future. At its core is a glass pavilion (designed by Foster, of course) that functions as a stage for events and a space for displays. The foundation itself houses an impressive archive of some 74,000 drawings, models, photographs, sketchbooks, and assorted objects, all revolving around Sir Norman Foster’s life, work and ideologies. The British architect, who is now 82, has always been at the cutting edge of innovation and technology, masterminding the newly opened Us$5-billion Apple campus in Cupertino, California, and building robots that can 3-D-print houses on Mars.

This centre is a boon for young academic and professional minds; providing a communal hub for the next generation to envision the future. The rest of us are welcome to tour the foundation by appointment. Monte Esquinza, 48, Madrid normanfosterfoundation.org