The story
Founded by Norman Foster in 1967.1
The firm was established by the architect Norman Foster in 1967, shortly after leaving his first studio, Team 4. The firm was originally called Foster Associates before becoming Sir Norman Foster and Partners in 1992, then Foster & Partners in 1999, and finally Foster + Partners in 2006.
The firm was chosen by Robert Sainsbury to design the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, which was completed in 1978. Located at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, the 500 foot-long steel structure was designed to house the Sainsbury’s art collection. The project was the firm’s first public building.
In 1979, Foster + Partners won an international design competition to design the new HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong. When the building was completed, it was the most expensive building in the world.
The firm was chosen to renovate the Reichstag in Berlin after being selected in a design competition in 1992. The renovation was completed in 1999.
Foster + Partners was the selected architectural firm to design a new skyscraper in London, which would be built on the site of the Baltic Exchange building. The site had been heavily damaged by an IRA bomb in 1992. The building, known as 30 St Mary Axe or its nickname, “The Gherkin,” was completed in 2004 for Swiss Re.
In 2001, construction began on the Norman Foster-designed Millau Viaduct spanning the Tarn Gorge in southern France. The bridge was completed in 2004 and as of 2024 was the tallest bridge in the world.
Foster divided the architectural staff into six architectural studios in 2003 and appointed partners of the firm to lead each one.
In 2007, the private equity company 3i took a stake in the firm.
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The firm was approached by Steve Jobs in 2009 to develop 75 acres in Cupertino, California into the new headquarters of Apple; Jobs consulted on the design until his death in 2011. The campus, known as Apple Park, cost $5 billion and opened in 2017.
The practice regained complete ownership in June 2014, when the 140 partners bought it back from 3i.
In October 2021, a stake in the firm was bought for an undisclosed sum by a Canadian private investor, Hennick & Company, which became the single largest shareholder of the firm. Foster retains a controlling interest. In November 2023, Spencer de Grey stepped back from his role as Senior Executive Partner at the firm.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Foster + Partners was selected to design her memorial in June 2025. The Memorial to Elizabeth II, London will be located in St James's Park, with the final design approved in early 2026.
From Wikipedia’s article on Foster and Partners, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4