After Dinner Speakers: Norman Foster, Karen Krizanovic, Venga Boys

Norman Foster was born in Manchester, England in 1935. He received his architectural training at Manchester University School of Architecture, which he entered at age 21, and Yale University. He worked with Richard Rogers and Sue Rogers and his wife, Wendy Foster, as a member of "Team 4" until Foster Associates was founded in London in 1967. The "High Tech" vocabulary of Foster Associates shows an uncompromising exploration of technological innovations and forms. The firm's work also shows a dedication to architectural detailing and craftsmanship. Their designs emphasize the repetition of industrialized "modular" units in which prefabricated off-site-manufactured elements are frequently employed. The firm often designs specialist components for individual projects. Foster was awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 1983, and in 1990 the RIBA Trustees Medal was made for the Willis Faber Dumas building. He was knighted in 1990, and recieved the Gold Medal of the AIA in 1994. On June 7, 1999, Sir Norman will receive the Pritzer Architecture Prize. Foster and Partners currently has offices in London, Berlin, and Singapore, with over 500 employees worldwide.