About this talk

Running time: 43 minutes

In this abridged version of a talk given by Norman Foster at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University of London, on 15 June 2001, he explores his interests and identifies four themes: spaces and routes, lights and lightness, ecology, and density and sprawl.

Using examples of the work of his practice to illustrate how these interweave, he goes into considerable detail in cases that range in scale from airport to a wind-turbine; from the plan of a whole section of a city to how to heat or cool a building.

The major proposition is about how seeking higher quality of urban life through higher densities liberates open space. And he concludes that "in terms of quality of environment, those higher density settlements probably account for some of the most affluent areas on the planet".

This is the second of Foster's three talks, his first being More With Less from 1979, and the third Chateau Margaux, France from 2015.

Please note that a transcript of this talk is available - please contact us for further details.