Visit to the Norman Foster Foundation

DATE

22.06.2026

Students from the MBA MArch Advanced master’s program in architecture, design, and business administration traveled to Madrid to visit the headquarters of the Norman Foster Foundation.

The foundation is located in a former 19th-century mansion, now converted into a studio complete with meeting rooms, a library, and an exhibition space showcasing numerous models of some of Foster’s most iconic projects. These spaces stand out precisely because of the finish of these scale prototypes, some of which are considerable in size and possess a high level of detail that allows for a much better understanding of each project.

The Foundation’s library and archive are located in the building’s basement. This space houses a valuable collection of books and documents, including notebooks and drawings dating back to Norman Foster’s own student days, as well as original graphic documentation from numerous projects carried out by his studio.

The complex also stands out for the addition of a new volume in the rear courtyard. Designed by Foster himself, it stands as a glass cube featuring remarkably discreet window profiles, with a reflective ceiling inside that enhances the sense of interior spaciousness. It consists of a single room with no interior partitions, used as a conference hall, which also houses a small collection of transport models—one of Foster’s passions—as well as a full-scale Dymaxion car designed by Buckminster Fuller.

Indeed, a constant throughout the Foundation is the presence of artworks, such as the outdoor canopy-like structure by Cristina Iglesias, a sculpture by Ai Weiwei, and a drawing by Le Corbusier, among many others.