David Nelson

Senior Executive Partner, Head of Design

RCA (MA)

David Nelson is a Senior Executive Partner, Head of Design and a member of the Design Board, a position he has held since 2004. Throughout his long career with Foster + Partners, he has played a key role in shaping its creative and operational direction. He has been involved in some of the practice’s most recognisable buildings, from the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters to Apple Park in Cupertino, as well as high profile projects in China, Singapore and Korea. As a member of the Design Board, David has an overview of every project. Each one benefits from the collective knowledge and expertise of Foster + Partners’ architects and specialist teams. The Design Board is at the heart of the design process, guiding and supporting teams, questioning, maintaining quality and focusing the practice’s collective experience at all stages. His understanding of the studio’s evolution, his open, collaborative mindset and continued leadership role has made David a key figure in Foster + Partners’ evolution; he also brings a global perspective, gained from living in Hong Kong and travelling extensively to construction sites and projects across the world.

David Nelson

In this studio our Specialist Design Services enhance the well-established role of what an architectural team has to achieve. Combining evermore diverse skills into the development of projects enriches and adds great meaning to everything we do. Continual development of shared experience is crucial.

Century Tower

1991

UAE Pavilion Milan Expo 2015

2015

Palace of Peace and Reconciliation

2006

McLaren Technology Centre

2004

Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

1978

Hotel Silken Puerta América

2005

Bishops Square

2005

Thames Hub

2011

Dot, Lumina

2016

Lumiere Apartments

2007

425 Park Avenue

2022

Capella Resort

2009

ME London

2013

Masdar Institute

2015

EY Headquarters

2008

Cove, Poltrona Frau

2018

Duisburg Inner Harbour Masterplan

2003

ENEL Power Pylons

2000

Lenbachhaus

2013

Jameson House

2011

The Corniche

2019

Izanami Motor Yacht

1995

The Troika

2011

Steve Jobs Theater

2017

Marine Simulator Centre

1993

Canary Wharf Underground Station

1999

Bilbao Metro

1995

Yacht Club de Monaco

2014

Addition to Joslyn Art Museum

1994

Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy Building

2006