In May this year, The Centre Pompidou in Paris will debut the largest retrospective of Norman Foster's work from the past six decades. The exhibition spans nearly 2,200 square meters, exploring the various phases of the renowned architect’s career. Essential works including the Hong Kong and Shanghai Baking Corporation's headquarters (Hong Kong, 1979–1986), the Carré d'Art (Nîmes, 1984–1993), the Hong Kong International Airport (1992–1998), and the Apple Park (Cupertino, United States, 2009-2017) will be on display.
Foster + Partners, the Norman Foster Foundation, and Norman Foster are working to develop and execute the full retrospective. Through the lenses of the seven chosen themes: Nature and Urbanity, Skin and Bones, Vertical City, History and Tradition, Planning and Location, Networks and Mobility, and Future, the exhibition is set to become a full compilation of the architect’s work.
This exhibition traces the themes of sustainability and anticipating the future. The birth of the practice in the 1960’s coincided with the first signs of an awareness of the fragility of the planet. These were the green shoots of what would later be named The Green Movement. These principles may now be mainstream but more than half a century ago they were revolutionary and anticipated the reality of today. Throughout the decades we have sought to challenge conventions, reinvent building types and demonstrate an architecture of light and lightness, inspired by nature, which can be about joy as well as being eco-friendly.
Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners and President, Norman Foster Foundation
Welcoming visitors at the entrance to the exhibition, a drawing gallery will showcase works that have never been seen before in France, consisting of drawings sketchbooks, sketches, and photographs taken by the architect. The exhibition features pieces by Fernand Léger, Constantin Brancusi, Umberto Boccioni, and Ai Weiwei, industrial marvels like a glider, and several vintage cars, frequently serving as sources of inspiration for the architect. Visitors can explore 130 significant projects through sketches, original scale models, dioramas, videos, and other mediums.
The Norman Foster exhibition is being organized by the Centre Pompidou, with the collaboration of Foster + Partners and the Norman Foster Foundation. The institution, designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, is home to the National Museum of Modern Art and is renowned for its 21st-century art collections. In the 2022 Biennale of FRAC, France exhibited the work of 55 women, showcasing pieces from the permanent collection of the Center Pompidou. As a cultural foundation, the Centre Pompidou often hosts curated exhibitions. Most recently, MAD Architects curated MAD X, showcasing ten of MAD’s most significant projects to date. One of Paris' leading cultural attractions, Centre Pompidou is scheduled to be closed completely from the end of 2023 until 2027, for renovation Showing signs of aging, especially when it comes to the heating and cooling system, escalators and elevator malfunctions, and asbestos that must be removed, this is not the inside-out museum's first revamp, in fact, it was closed down once before in 1997, during its 20th anniversary, for a couple of years.
