In Britain, the idea one could go from blue-collar beginnings to the university was so far out, it was quite unthinkable. I took a variety of jobs to pay for tuition – from ice-cream salesman to night-club bouncer. Whatever earned the most money in the least time. Norman Foster Read Quote
The only honourable work my parents knew was blue-collar. But while my father Robert ran a pawnbroker’s shop, and my mother was a waitress, I moved into a middle-class world with a level of security they never knew. Norman Foster Read Quote
I hope that any expansion of London will learn from the planning examples of some of its most desirable areas such as Chelsea, Notting Hill, Belgravia and Mayfair. All are characterised by high density and a generosity of green spaces. Norman Foster Read Quote
You can find, occasionally, some absolutely fantastic things in hunting shops. I’ve got one jacket that I just happened across which is a kind of unwashed leather – completely anonymous but absolutely special. Norman Foster Read Quote
Manhattan, one of the most moneyed spots on the planet, also has one of the greatest concentrations of people in its skyscrapers. It’s also, of course, the place where every architect wants to build his tower. Norman Foster Read Quote
Google has already tested robot cars in San Francisco. If they can navigate San Francisco, they can probably manage just about anywhere. Norman Foster Read Quote
I was born in 1935, and as far back as I can remember, I was sketching designs. My first subject was an aircraft, which I imagined myself piloting. Norman Foster Read Quote
Every time I’ve flown an aircraft, or visited a steelworks, or watched a panel-beater at work, I’ve learned something new that can be applied to buildings. Norman Foster Read Quote
Surveys often show people would prefer a detached house with a lawn and driveway to an apartment. I understand this. It’s not my place to presume to tell people where they can live. But perhaps that dream will simply not be possible in the future. Norman Foster Read Quote
I would never wear anything with a logo. That I really find difficult. It’s a frustration that I’ll find a nice shirt or something and it’s got 50 prints of the logo on it – why do they do this? Norman Foster Read Quote
