Norman Foster Foundation was founded in London in 1999, and headquartered in Madrid since 2017. It promotes interdisciplinary thinking and research to help new generations anticipate the future. Central to its work is Norman Foster’s enduring philosophy that architecture, infrastructure and urbanism directly impact the quality of our lives as new cities are created and existing ones evolve. Since its launch, the Foundation’s educational programmes— comprising workshops, forums and fellowships —have encouraged new thinking and research to help future civic leaders prepare for the challenges they will face, based on data rather than fashion. Those programmes and principles led to the creation of the Norman Foster Institute which launched its first Master’s Course on Sustainable Cities in January 2024.
The Foundation is also home to the Norman Foster Archive and part of his Library, which provides a window into the larger narrative and history of our built environment through the work of Norman Foster and other prominent architects. The Archive is an open online resource and contributes to exhibitions worldwide. The education programmes and research teams are supported by the Foundation’s in-house architectural team. The work of the Foundation is shared with a wider audience through the books and reports created by the Norman Foster Foundation publications team.
The Norman Foster Foundation is the recipient of various awards and was recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in 2021. The Foundation is headquartered in Madrid and operates globally.
