Everything produced by British architect Norman Foster (b. 1935) throughout his long career is interwoven in this exhibition as part of a process whose results, seen both in terms of independent periods and as a whole, converge to bring nature and technology together through the practice of a discipline that is understood as a transformative and forward-looking tool.
This retrospective show, curated by the philosopher Fréderic Migayrou, chief curator of Architecture and Design at the Centre Pompidou (from 10 May to 7 August 2023), spans Foster’s six-decade career. The exhibition design is by Foster & Partners. However, given that it represents such a special occasion for the architect, Foster himself has assumed a leading role in the definition of the show and the selection of drawings, photographs, sketches, floor plans, scale models, prototypes and other elements that serve to illustrate 130 projects, as well as works by other authors who have inspired his creations, such as Brancusi and Léger.
Empty carried out the production, installation and finishing of all the display elements: seven large 4.80 m-high self-supporting walls arranged in the form of a fan; and exhibition walls delimiting the drawings gallery devoted to Foster’s original workbooks, shown in display cases made by the Italian firm Goppion. Empty also produced and installed more than seventy plinths and pedestals—in a wide range of shapes and sizes—for the exhibition of over two hundred scale models and exhibits. The flooring—linoleum for the main exhibition area and carpet for the drawings gallery—was also provided by Empty.
Empty has been involved in several of Foster’s projects: from the Foundation bearing his name to two wineries in the wine-making region of Bordeaux, as well as various Apple stores designed by his studio, the works in progress for the Museo del Prado’s “Salón de Reinos”, and the extension of the Bodegas Faustino winery in Oyón. For this reason, we decided to become a sponsor of the exhibition.
