Fostering Society : Foster + Partners
Centre de Design de UQAM
Montreal
8 February – 15 April 2018
Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 6 pm.
Free admission
www.centrededesign.com
‘Fostering Society : Foster + Partners’, one of the most ambitious exhibitions to date at the Centre de Design at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), curated by its director, Börkur Bergmann, opens to the public on 8 February. The exhibition showcases a selection of seminal projects by the practice over the past five decades, analysing its unique design approach and shining a light on its contribution to sustainability long before the issue entered mainstream architectural debate.
Looking at key themes prevalent in the practice’s work from its early days to ongoing projects, the exhibition highlights Foster + Partners’ design process, looking at how the design teams arrived at the final product. The exhibition is divided into four sections – Going High Density looks at the development of the office tower as a building type; City and Culture illustrates the contribution of cultural projects to the urban realm; Embracing Territory investigates the idea of architectural projects as infrastructure; and Experimenting with Lightness examines the practice’s unique integrated approach to design, where architects and engineers work together from the beginning of the project. Illustrated through a wide range of models, photographs and drawings from projects such as 30 St Mary’s Axe, also known as “the Gherkin”, Stansted Airport, Millau Viaduct, Great Court at the British Museum, and the new Maggie’s centre in Manchester, the exhibition provides a novel perspective on the practice’s oeuvre.
Nigel Dancey, head of studio at Foster + Partners will deliver a lecture on the design of the New International Airport in Mexico City on February 8, 2018, at 6 pm at UQAM, Montreal