Norman Foster is a world-renowned London based British architect. After being discharged from the Royal Air Force in 1956, he attended the University of Manchester’s School of Architecture and City Planning and went on to complete a fellowship at the Yale School of Architecture. In 1962 Foster established architecture group, Team 4, with his business partner Richard Rogers. After Team 4’s separation Foster created Foster and Partners and began building in the UK. Today the company collaborates with engineers to design buildings, which combine computer programs with physical laws like convection. An example of this is the Swiss re London headquarters, or 30 St Mary Axe, whose design allows for airflow throughout the building releasing the warmed air as it rises. Foster is known for his simple yet efficient designs reflecting a modernist outlook. In 2007 he received the highest architectural award, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

30 St Mary Axe, also known as the Gherkin, is a hard sight to miss among London’s financial district. Among the tallest buildings in London, this symmetrical design is sleek and yet dynamic with the pattern of windows creating a visual twisting effect. The high-tech appearance of the building is owed very much to the materials used repeatedly throughout the structure such as the windows and metal skeleton. The scale of the building itself is not too high, only 40 floors, yet compared to the scale of the surrounding areas looms over the city. The smooth lines and balance of the building are very aesthetically pleasing and unique in the landscape of the City of London.