14 Skyscrapers Exhibited by Foster + Partners

British studio Foster + Partners has exhibited models of 14 skyscrapers that are under construction or have been built. Located in an exhibition located in the lobby of the newly renovated Transamerica Pyramid. The exhibition showcases and displays several very detailed architectural project models from the work of the Foster + Partners studio arranged on podiums in the building using additional glass materials. Norman Foster the founder explained that this exhibition is dominated by skyscraper building models with various designs designed by Foster + Partners from the 1960s to the present, showing that Foster + Partners continues to question the "traditional tower". According to him, the history of tower design by the Foster + Partners studio is a challenge to convention.

14 Skyscrapers Exhibition by Foster + Partners (cr: Foster + Partners)

From the beginning, Foster + Partners has always questioned the traditional tower, which focused on the central core of mechanical plant, circulation, and structure. Instead, it created open, multi-level, flexible spaces with transparent views. Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters is one of the earliest skyscrapers to show this early approach through multiple envelopes and voids in the facade.

14 Skyscrapers Exhibition by Foster + Partners (cr: Foster + Partners)

14 Skyscrapers Exhibition by Foster + Partners (cr: Foster + Partners) 

The models of works on display vary in detail and scale, although skyscrapers dominate. Of the many models on display, two different versions of the 423-meter or 1,388-square-foot 270 Park Avenue skyscraper under construction, which will eventually become the headquarters of JP Morgan Bank in New York, are the tallest.

One of the models visually shows the structural elements of the skyscraper shown in white, while the other shows the skyscraper, which Foster + Partners says will be fully electrically optimized once completed. For Foster, moving the mechanical systems out of the center of the building allowed for further evolution of the skyscraper’s form. This led to a further evolution with the first ‘breathing’ towers. The introduction of natural ventilation systems that move large amounts of fresh, filtered air can be part of a controlled internal climate, reducing energy consumption and creating a healthier lifestyle as desired.

14 Skyscrapers Exhibition by Foster + Partners (cr: Foster + Partners) 

Other notable works include Deutsche Bank Place in Sydney, the Millenium and Century skyscrapers in Tokyo, the National Bank of Kuwait, Commerzbank Headquarters in Frankfurt, and the Hearst Tower in New York and 30 St Mary Axe in London, known as The Gherkin. These works demonstrate how broadly Foster + Partners’ design has evolved over the years and its international reach. The exhibition was launched to celebrate the recently completed renovation of the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.

14 Skyscrapers Exhibition by Foster + Partners (cr: Foster + Partners) 

14 Skyscrapers Exhibition by Foster + Partners (cr: Foster + Partners)