Norman Foster Interview: Advice to the Young

Norman Foster, one of the architectural icons of our time, here advises upcoming architects and artists to make sure that what they’re doing is their true desire - if not, they should simply find something else.
When you can’t imagine doing anything else, and you would do anything to be able to do it, then you know you’ve made the right decision. From then on it’s a matter of completely immersing yourself in that choice: “You live it every living second of your life.”
Norman Robert Foster (b. 1935) is an English architect and designer, who is considered one of the most prolific architects of his generation. He is the founder of Foster and Partners (1967) and responsible for renowned buildings such as London City Hall and Millennium Bridge (London), Reichstag (Berlin), Bilbao Metro, Hearst Tower (New York), Hong Kong International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport and Apple Spaceship Headquarters (est. 2016). Foster, who is a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers and winner of the society’s highest award, The Minerva Medal, has received several awards such as the Pritzker-prize in 1999 (often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture), the Stirling Prize in 1998 and 2004, as well as the Aga Khan Award for Architecture - the largest architectural award in the world - for the University of Technology Petronas in Malaysia (2007). He was knighted in 1990, and in 1999 he was created a life peer, as Baron Foster of Thames Bank, of Reddish in the County of Greater Manchester.
Norman Foster was interviewed by Marc-Christoph Wagner in his home near Geneva, Switzerland in April 2015.
Camera: Mathias Nyholm
Edited by: Kamilla Bruus
Produced by: Marc-Christoph Wagner
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2015
Supported by Nordea-fonden

[@valeriact31]

truly needed this. I hope I can meet him some day, what an icon.

[@elinjavadi2462]

Yeah my wish too

[@Hazard551]

The fuck, I am awestruck by what he just said, I was smiling the whole video, and my heart and mind just said "listen, that's you". I didn't even blink once.

[@minerlord222]

You described my thoughts too. :) I'm 14 and I'm so excited for the future.

[@Hazard551]

milosz lech Nice! future Arch. Milosz, I'm excited too. I'm only 18 and this video gave me the edge I needed, I currently have finished 2 projects, a third storey extension for my friend's house and a small shed like house. And I still have 2 projects ongoing. Interior design for a condo and a modern bar for my uncle. All those projects and I'm not even a graduate yet.

[@minerlord222]

Badaboop Badabeep I wish you the best of luck man.

[@moneymoney920]

exactly my thoughts too , and my name is also norman :)

[@cutiex7357]

SAME 😭

[@Potatoverynice]

I've got work experience with this GOD and his practise on the 25th June (less than two weeks!) I am so excited!

[@flamelibby]

How did it go?

[@conallgifford2464]

You are very lucky how did it go

[@Potatoverynice]

This is my answer to both of you, as somehow I missed that comment from a year ago iris, it was just purely incredible and very insightful, the people I was working with were just the best, I miss them to this day, such amazing, passionate people, they bought me a book with kind messages in it, they were too kind, I was doing quite basic work in photoshop, as obviously I am unqualified, but they guided me through the more advance stuff they were doing like lazer cutting. The best part by the way is the the man himself beeped for me to get out of the way when I was talking outside haha, my claim to fame you could say!

[@conallgifford2464]

@@Potatoverynice That sounds amazing, I mean you did get to work with the best team in the world, Good luck in the future

[@Potatoverynice]

@@conallgifford2464 thanks my dude, the same to you too!

[@danielamartey9800]

Just beautiful. Great Advice

[@Remitecture]

My hero

[@fernandok_2752]

Thank you

[@JorgeMartinez-bw7nl]

Wow... wise words.

[@noaht-s8126]

Thanks

[@elinjavadi2462]

Nice piece of advice from my architect idol❤

[@moufida8518]

Grand man❤️

[@user-yo7fx2xn8m]

👏🏻👏🏻

[@LedeWasan]

this was only encouragement for artists and architects...iykyk

[@user-yo7fx2xn8m]

Ok that’s them

[@Bod_users]

"fires you" in what sense??

[@prawiraagung4011]

How about advice to the old? HOW DARE YOU LEAVE THEM OLDIES MY GOOD MAN.

[@CarrierHasArrived]

What a useless piece of non-advice. 'Only commit to something you are already committed to.' If a person was already completely devoted to a profession, then they would pursue it regardless of what this guy or anyone else thought about it. Also that advice applies to just about nobody. Pretty much everyone has varied interests. He basically just told the audience to forget what they are doing and give up.

[@mwafej]

could not agree more with you my friend! well said. what sir Norman said opens the door of endless and useless doubts!

[@EmakhosiniSiyakhuleka]

Everything is creative, that was the advice. You missed it because you had your own expectation, sorry for you!

[@jjjj5452]

What he really means is that architecture is hard and requires a lot of time and energy. If you're not that into it, you'll lose work very fast or won't get anywhere