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.

Reichstag, New German Parliament

1999

Masdar City

2014

Steve Jobs Theater

2017

McLaren Technology Centre

2004

Free University

2005

Canary Wharf Underground Station

1999

Maggie’s Manchester

2016

Masdar Institute

2015

Red Dot Design Museum

1997

Beijing Capital International Airport

2008

Capella Resort

2009

Repsol service stations

1998

House in Japan

1992

Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy Building

2006

Palace of Peace and Reconciliation

2006

Yacht Club de Monaco

2014

Hearst Headquarters

2006

Shanghai Jiushi Corporation

2001

Thames Hub

2011

Chesham Place

2008

Bilbao Metro

1995

Arcoris Mont' Kiara

2019

Index Tower

2011

ME London

2013

American Air Museum

1997

Lumiere Apartments

2007

Petronas University of Technology

2004

Gerling Ring

2001

McLaren Production Centre

2011

Apple Westlake, Hangzhou

2015