Тема: «Norman Foster: the British architect of the future».

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Муниципальное образовательное учреждение

МОУ «Тверская гимназия №6»

Конкурс рефератов «Путь к успеху»

Реферат

Предмет: английскийязык

Тема: «Norman Foster: the British architect of the future».

«НорманФостер: британский архитектор будущего».

Выполнила:

Ученица 8А класса

Дмитриева Мария Дмитриевна

Научныйруководитель:

Морозова Светлана Николаевна

Тверь, 2021

The Contents:

1. Introduction – p 3

2. The main part – p 4

2. 1. Norman Foster: early years and education - p 4

2. 2. The creation of High-tech style – p5

2. 3. The most successful projects–p 6-7

HSBC Bank building – p 6

Reichstag, Berlin – p 7

30 St Mary Axe – p 8

The Gateshead Millenium bridge – p 9

Wembley stadium – p10

2. 4. The philosophy of High-tech and its influence – p 11

3. Conclusion – p 12

4. Literature list – p 13

5. Appendix – p 14-17

1. Introduction

“Everything inspires me; sometimes I think I see things others don’t”. Norman Robert Foster

I would like to tell you about Norman Foster, one of the most famous architects. He is closely associated with the development of High-tech style and considered to be a key figure in British modernist architecture. All his projects always beat records in budget, multi-functionality, innovativeness and height.

The aim of the report is:

1. to learn about Norman Foster’s creations in the UK and assess its influence on the world architecture.

The objectives of the report are:

1. To learn about Norman Foster’s personality and his education;

2. To studythe development and philosophy of High-tech style;

3. To research the constructions of Foster’s buildings in Britain.

I used a book by M. Maevskaya “Great Architects, part 8, 2018, Moscow” to complete this report.

This report will be helpful for students interested in architecture of London, as Norman Foster’s influence on it is great.

2. The main part

2. 1 Norman Foster: early years and education

“If you weren’t an optimist, it would be impossible to be an architect”.

Norman Robert Foster

Norman Robert Foster was born in 1935, in Manchester, Britain. He was the only child of Robert and Lilian Foster. The family lived in poverty. His father was a machine painter, and Norman was interested in engineering, design and architecture. His mother worked in a local bakery.

Foster attended Burnage Grammar School for Boys, where he was bullied by fellow pupils. He considered himself awkward and quiet in his early years. At the age of 16, he left school and worked as a clerk to help his parents. In 1953 he completed his national service in the Royal Air Force. After having returned to Manchester, Norman applied for a job at duplicating machine company, where he started studying architecture, space organisation and urban planning. Due to his hard work and talent, at the age of 21 he won a scholarship to studying in the USA. He earned a master degree after 2-year studies at Yale School of Architecture.

2. 2 The creation of High-tech style

“It takes a lot of effort to make a building look effortless”. Norman Robert Foster

During studying in Yale school of Architecture, Norman met Richard Rogers, a talented English architect. After having finished the university, they returned to Britain and founded their own company, “Team 4”. But they hadn’t created anything outstanding for 10 years of existence of the company. However, they invented a new architectural style – High-tech. It was inspired by the creations of a Russian engineer – Vladimir Shuhov.

“Team 4” wanted to makean eco-friendly architecture. They planned buildings that demanded less energy and didn’t pollute the environment. Unfortunately, their ideas weren’t realised. However, they had made the foundation of the future projects. The four separated in 1967, and Foster founded a new company, “Foster+ partners”. At first, the company worked on small projects, but quickly it started dealing with famous engineers.

In 1971, Foster was invited to work on the project of Willis Faber & Dumas headquarters in Ipswich. The client, a family-run insurance company, wanted to restore a sense of community to the workplace, so Foster designed a space with modular, open plan office floors and placed a roof garden, 25-metre swimming pool, and gymnasium in the building to enhance the quality of life for the company's employees.

The final result was great. A new innovative type of office soon made world news. After such a success, Norman Foster became extremely popular. He began creating new buildings all over the world.

2. 3. The most successful projects

“Every time I’ve flown on aircraft, or visited a steelworks, or watched a panel-beater at work, I’ve learnt something new that can be applied to buildings” Norman Robert Foster

HSBC Bank Building, Hong Kong, 1979

In 1979 HSBC Bank demanded a headquarters. Foster had to create a majestic high-tech skyscraper. Foster removed all internal supporting structures, leaving only the outer skeleton assembled from lightweight materials. Due to the new structure, it became possible to arrange office spaces with a free layout around a 12-storey atrium. The bank building is located on the shore of the bay. This led Norman to invent a new energy-efficient air conditioning system. Facade panels are covered with a translucent film that limits direct sunlight and protects the interior from overheating. Elevators in the 48-storey building exist quite formally. They only stop on a few floors. All other levels are connected by a system of stairs and escalators. there is a solar reflector on the faç ade of the building which through a system of mirrors directs light inside the building, illuminating the atrium, the bank hall and the service complex of the skyscraper. The layout of the offices is designed according to the feng shui. Special partitions visually hide the entrance and exit, the interior of the offices is as spacious as possible, and the lightness of the space is given by huge windows and glass walls.

Reichstag, Berlin, 1999

The reconstruction of the Reichstag was conceived as a symbol of a renewed image of democratic Germany. The German parliament held a competition for the best construction planand Foster was hired to implement the project. He had to preserve the historical appearance of the facades, recreate the burned dome and rebuild the building from the inside so that the parliament would be comfortable to work. In order to preserve the facades, Norman demolished all the inner walls, which caused a lot of criticism. As a result, the building turned out to be an engineering and technical miracle with an admixture of history.

On the ground floor of the building there is a transparent cone in the floor. Through it, tourists can watch meetings in the plenary hall, which is located on the ground floor. On the inside of the dome there is a spiral-type ramp. On it, tourists climb up under the very roof of the dome, where there is an observation deck with a panoramic view.

Between the first floor and the roof of the dome is a support column in the form of a funnel. It is lined with 360 fragments of mirrors. It seems that the funnel is just a spectacular installation, but in fact it is a disguised ventilation shaft. The air passing through it is used for heat exchange and reduces energy costs for cooling and heating the building.

Now the Reichstag is the most visited parliament in the world, which, through Foster's efforts, has turned into a tourist attraction. Tourists come here to meet politicians, watch their work, eat in a restaurant overlooking the city, look at the walls where the inscriptions of Soviet soldiers and traces of bullets have been preserved, and in addition - admire the brilliant creation of modern engineers and architects.

30 St Mary Axe

“The pencil and computer are, if left to their own devices, equally dumb and only as good as the person driving them”. Norman Robert Foster

30 St Mary Axe is London’s most instantly recognisable tower. It was completed in December 2003 and opened in April 2004. It is 180 metres tall and stands on the sites of the former Baltic Exchange and Chamber of Shipping. London’s first ecological high building, this headquarters designed for Swiss Re is rooted in a radical approach − technically, architecturally, socially and spatially. Forty-one storeys high, it provides 46, 400 square metres net of office space together with an arcade of shops and café s. Generated with a radial geometry, the building widens in profile as it rises and tapers towards its apex. This distinctive form responds to the constraints of the site: the building appears to be slenderer than a rectangular block of equivalent size. Environmentally, its profile reduces wind deflections compared with a rectilinear tower of similar size, helping to maintain a comfortable environment at ground level, and creates external pressure differentials that are exploited to drive a unique system of natural ventilation.

Gateshead Millennium Bridge

“I hope that any expansion of London will learn from the planning examples of some of its most desirable areas such as Chelsea, Notting Hill, Belgravia and Mayfair. All are characterized by high density and a generosity of green spaces. They are all pedestrian-friendly with shops, entertainment, restaurants and pubs within easy walking distance”. Norman Robert Foster.

The Millennium Bridge springs from a creative collaboration between architecture, art and engineering. London's only pedestrian bridge and the first new crossing on this part of the Thames in more than a century, it links the City and St Paul's Cathedral to the north with the Globe Theatre and Tate Modern on Bankside. A key element in London's pedestrian infrastructure, it has created new routes into Southwark and encouraged new life on the embankment alongside St Paul's.

Structurally, the bridge pushes the boundaries of technology. Spanning 320 metres, it is a very shallow suspension bridge. Two Y-shaped armatures support eight cables that run along the sides of the 4-metre-wide deck, while steel transverse arms clamp on to the cables at 8-metre intervals to support the deck itself. This groundbreaking structure means that the cables never rise more than 2. 3 metres above the deck, allowing those crossing the bridge to enjoy uninterrupted panoramic views and preserving sight lines from the surrounding buildings. As a result, the bridge has a uniquely thin profile, forming a slender arc across the water. The bridge opened in June 2000. 100, 000 people crossed it during the first weekend.

Wembley Stadium

“The arena itself is breathtaking. A vast undulating wave of sculpted concrete, set about with 90, 000 red plastic seats, each with plenty of leg room and uninterrupted views, it shelters beneath a gigantic yet unobtrusive roof, all 11 acres and 7, 000 tonnes of it supported by Foster’s 133-metre high, 315-metre long ‘tiara’ of steel” The Guardian

Wembley Stadium is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003.

The challenge in reinventing it for a new century was to build on its extraordinary heritage and yet create a venue that would be memorable and magical in its own right. With 90, 000 seats, the new stadium is the largest covered arena in the world.

The stadium's facilities are designed to maximise spectator enjoyment; the seats are larger than before, with much more leg-room; the highest tiers are easily accessed via escalators. One of the things that make the stadium special is the retractable roof, which ensures that the spectator experience is comfortable in all weathers. When the roof is open it ensures that the turf receives sufficient sunlight and air to keep it in perfect condition, while in poor weather it can be closed to cover the entire seating bowl. The roof is supported structurally by a 133-metre-high arch that soars above the stadium. It is a strong symbol for Wembley and an instantly recognisable London landmark. Its geometry and steeply raked seating tiers ensure that everyone has an unobstructed view of the game. To recreate the intimate atmosphere and the distinctive 'Wembley roar' for which the old stadium was famous, the seats are located as close to the pitch as possible. Yet the building has also been consciously future proofed, with the ability to be adapted to host a variety of events.

2. 4. The philosophy of High-techand its influence

“I’m not a creature of habit. I like to find things from unexpected sources”. Norman Robert Foster

Foster believes that modern society needs comfortable, multi-functional and eco-friendly cities. High-techstyleoffersthis. The architect fills his buildings with ultramodern technique. That’s why they look like machines ruled by a computer centre.

As a child, Norman was interested in aeroplanesand trains. He also used to sketch his most favourite buildings of his hometown. This means that High-tech style is a mix of technique and architecture.

Foster is considered to be “a green architect”, because he uses energy-saving technologies in his projects. What is more, he believes that the architecture should demonstrate social values. For example, he adds swimming pools, gyms, shops and restaurants in office buildings to show that a workplace should beenjoyable to work and comfortable to spend free time there.

Norman Foster’s influence on the world architecture is great. His ideas of eco-friendly architecture are in high demand now, and soon they will be necessary because of the environmental problems.

3. Conclusion

NowadaysFoster’scompany is famous for its high-technological design. An 82-yeararchitectpersonallymonitorsalltheprojects, makes sketches and controls all the processes. Hedoestheurbanplanning and creates airports and offices.

We have reached ouraim and our objectives. Now we are aware of Norman Foster’s projects in the UK, their constructions and the philosophy of the High-tech style.

This report will be helpful for students interested in architecture of London, as Norman Foster’s influence on it is great.

As for me, I consider him to be one of the most outstanding contemporary architects.