Shenzhen's China Merchant’s Bank Headquarters has reached its final construction phase. Designed by Foster + Partners, the project is a prominent element within a larger mixed-use complex, carefully shaping the neighborhood and the city’s dynamic skyline. Designed around the context of the rapidly urbanizing Shenzhen Smart City, the bank and its larger mixed-use components seek to be sustainable developments seamlessly integrating into the existing landscape.
Nestled in the heart of Southeast Asia, Singapore stands as a beacon of sustainable urbanization. According to the 2016 Green City Index, the city-state of Singapore was the greenest city in Asia at one point. Renowned as the “City in a Garden,” Singapore has intertwined lush greenery, verdant parks, and new environmental policies into its urban fabric/ After gaining independence in 1965, the city-state stands as a testament to how urban life can integrate with nature.
From the futuristic marvels of the infamous Marina Bay Sands and Jewel Changi Airport by Safdie Architects to the iconic heritage of the former Supreme Court, now the National Gallery Singapore, the city showcases a rich tapestry of styles and influences. The city has also adopted its version of modernism, such as the Colonnade Condominiums, designed by architect Paul Rudolph, and the Pearl Bank Apartments by Tan Cheng Siong. Renowned architects such as Moshe Safdie, Norman Foster, and WOHA, have each left an indelible mark on the city with their innovative designs.
Foster + Partners, led by Normal Foster, has just been selected to reimagine the Television City studio complex in Los Angeles, following a global competition. The project involves the restoration of William Pereira’s iconic 1952 buildings and the transformation of the 25-acre site into a low-rise multi-modal campus and draws inspiration from the Los Angeles’ renowned Case Study Houses. The campus will feature new sound stages, production offices, creative workspace, and retail surrounding its perimeter.
Foster + Partners has just begun construction on “The Edge,” its inaugural project in Uruguay. Situated along the Rambla Tomas Berreta in Montevideo’s Carrasco neighborhood, the scheme extends along the coastline to the eastern borders. Encompassing 60 meters of shoreline, the development includes eight residential units that form around a circular courtyard enclosed in glass, each offering unique views of the water.
A global and cosmopolitan city, Milan is an uncontested mainstream fashion and economic center, widely coveted by worldwide visitors. The second most populated city in Italy, it hosts some of the world's major fashion and design-related events. Milan also houses prestigious educational institutions, many of which are renowned for heritage and conservationist specialties. Its cultural and design relevance cannot be understated as more and more creators are relocating and setting up shop in this booming creative hub.
The city's most recognizable tourist attractions are the renowned gothic Duomo di Milano, Santa Maria delle Grazia, or the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, amongst other classical and baroque sites. Milan also houses some of the boldest and most experimental modern and contemporary buildings that highlight the marriage of the beautifully crafted and often ornamental heritage with the modern, post-modernist, and contemporary monuments that make up its unique style.
The future Saudi tower designed by Foster + Partners is expected to reach a staggering height of two kilometers. This multibillion-dollar project, towering twice as high as the current record holder, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, will dominate the skyline of Riyadh, accommodating offices, residences, and entertainment spaces. It forms part of a development program led by Saudi Arabia, driven by the vision of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to establish the country's presence through ambitious, large-scale projects. While these super-tall towers symbolize visibility and global recognition, they face criticism for their extravagant construction costs and environmental impact.
Foster + Partners has just unveiled the designs of two neighboring residential towers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Named VELA and VELA VIENO, the two towers offer waterfront living, providing direct access to the promenade and the marina. Situated in Dubai’s Marasi Bay with a direct view of the Burj Khalifa, the developments are “characterized by a horizontal rhythm, emphasized structure, and strategic voids in the massing.”
Foster + Partners, led by Norman Foster, has revealed designs for a new “vertical creative office” campus on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, overlooking Hollywood. Developed by real estate firm The Star LLC, the tower is wrapped in spiraling gardens, giving the project its distinctive image and introducing generous outdoor areas throughout. Dubbed “The Star,” the project strives to use active and passive design strategies to bring a welcoming and comfortable space for all future users.
Construction is currently in progress on “The Grid,” a new office complex by Foster + Partners. Located in Marousi, an established business hub that boasts connectivity to central Athens, the project spans an entire city block. The project features modern, adaptable workspaces, along with landscaped green areas that integrate with a public park. The scheme hopes to revitalize Marousi and attract new business to the existing area.
For centuries, arid environments have solved the problem of light, privacy, and heat through a statement architectural feature of Islamic and Arab architecture, the mashrabiya. Crafted from geometric patterns traditionally made from short lengths of turned wood, the mashrabiya features lattice-like patterns that form large areas. Traditionally, it was used to catch wind and offer passive cooling in the dry Middle Eastern desert heat. Frequently used on the side street of a built structure, water jars, and basins were placed inside it to activate evaporative cooling. The cool air from the street would pass through the wooden screen, providing air movement for the occupants.
Similar to the Indian jali, the vernacular language also offers a playful experience with daylight while still maintaining a certain degree of privacy. Traced back to Ottoman origins, the perforated screens protected occupants’ from the sun while simultaneously letting daylight through in calculated doses. Although the mashrabiya was a statement in arab and Islamic architecture languages, it wasn’t until 1987 that the archetypal element began appearing with a revised contemporary application.
Foster + Partners has just unveiled the designs for the Xicen Science & Technology Center at the heart of the Yangtze River Delta Region in Shanghai, China. The project is strategically located along the Shanghai – Huzhou development axis, ensuring connectivity to the city center through high-speed rail links. Drawing inspiration from the timeless allure of the surrounding water towns, the center blends new and existing waterways to create a community featuring residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.
Foster + Partners has announced the start of construction on One Beverly Hills, revitalizing 17.5 acres of land in the city center. Proposing two residential buildings, a new hotel, a dining, and a retail pavilion, the development is expected to open in 2025. Designed in collaboration with design collective RIOS, who is leading the Landscape Architecture, the project features 10 acres of gardens and open space. The project’s masterplan, designed by Foster + Partners, also integrates existing landmarks like the Beverly Hilton and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has released a revised proposal for the Midtown Bus Terminal, designed by Foster + Partners and A. Epstein and Sons International Inc. After the first version of the redesign was released in 2022, now the authorities announced the publication of the revised project plans that take into account feedback from key stakeholders including commuters and the larger community. The $10 billion facility is designed to accommodate the projected 2040-2050 commuter growth and provide a better experience for one of the world’s busiest bus terminals.
Saudi Arabia, a country going through a tremendous transition, is not only changing its skyline but also redefining its identity on a global level. As part of their 2030 Vision serving as the compass, the kingdom is moving toward new developments, aiming to revive culture and diversify the economy. In fact, the capital, Riyadh, is leading the transformation by hosting the 2030 World Expo. Representing the country’s dedication to advancement, several mega projects are taking place and transforming the kingdom's fabric.
Amidst the various projects, many world-renowned firms are working on these mega projects at many different scales. For example, the cultural renaissance is shown through Snøhetta’s Opera House in Diriyah, while the Jeddah Tower is on a trajectory that will overtake the Burj Khalifa. In the meantime, Heatherwick Studio’s conversion of a Jeddah desalination plant into a thriving cultural center showcases their repurposing of industrial spaces. From coastal projects by Foster + Partners to city center skyscrapers that are redefining the skyline, the country is undergoing significant transformations in its built environment.
Heatherwick Studio’s exhibition “Building Soulfulness” just opened at the Bund Finance Center in Shanghai. Curated by Mami Kataoka, it will run from January 17th to March 14th, 2024. The display celebrates the studio’s designs, emphasizing their enduring connection with China. The exhibition is taking place at the Fosun Foundation inside the Bund Finance Center, which was designed by Heatherwick Studios and Foster + Partners back in 2017.
Construction is underway at the new Techo International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, designed by Foster + Partners. The project, located 20 kilometers from Cambodia’s capital city, draws inspiration from the vernacular architecture that defines the area, searching to provide adequate design solutions in response to the tropical climate. The commission, which was won following an international competition, includes the master plan for a new airport city in addition to the new terminal building.
Foster + Partners Applied Research + Development team has created VARID (Virtual and Augmented Reality for Inclusive Design). Designed in collaboration with City, University of London (City) and UCL’s PEARL Lab, VARID is a design toolkit that uses virtual and augmented reality technologies. Its objective is to support academics, designers, and architects in better understanding how people with vision impairments perceive their environment.
As we reflect on the tumultuous events of 2023, it becomes evident that the challenges posed by changing environmental conditions have left an indelible mark on communities worldwide. In response, architects and urban planners have set out, searching for the ways in which their actions can help create safer environments for communities worldwide, responding with both fast-to-deploy emergency architectures and long-term strategies to build resilience and mitigate risks.
Beyond merely responding to events like the devastating earthquakes in Turkey, Syria, and Morocco, or the widespread flooding in Libya or Pakistan, professionals are attempting to take proactive approaches, developing strategies that extend from predictive modeling to the application of re-naturalizing techniques or the ongoing research into the physics of safer and resilient structures.
