[rhinomatt]

I believe that Lord Foster is an architectural genius and feel that he could be the man to put us on the map once and for all. If you don’t know about him he is the architect that designed the spherical (soon to be in Leeds), the Gherkin, City hall in London, the Reichstag redevelopment and a hell of a lot more! I think that if we (Leeds City Council) gave him a huge plot of land and told him to be tall and inventive we would have a real landmark for the city that even people not interested by skyscrapers would flock to see.
http://www.fosterandpartners.com/Practice/Default.aspx

The Point of this post is to ask you all who (architect wise) would you like to see build in Leeds? Why? And how do you think it would affect the city?

 

[di Livio]

Let's have some homegrown - Bauman Lyons.

 

[Chogmook]

He's yet to build 1 Hardman Square in Manchester though!! :rant:

 

[STOPGO]

I dont think its up to Leeds council to get Lord Foster involved, its down to private developers, I am all so not sure there is any huge plots of land left in the city centre.

 

[Smoggie_Si]

I dont think its up to Leeds council to get Lord Foster involved, its down to private developers.

Exactly.

Matt, I'd certainly hope that there's no-one posting on an architecture forum who isn't aware of Norman Foster! :nuts:

Foster has done some great stuff in the past, but if you read the London forum most people believe that he's now resting on his laurels and the recent stuff that Fosters Partnership have designed in London have been very disappointing. The likes of More London are bland in the extreme and whilst City Hall is an interesting shape and the inside is stunning, the cladding is horrid.

Richard Rogers still has the old magic however and something by Zaha Hadid would be a dream. More realistically just anything not by Carey Jones would do me.

 

[Rob]

I believe that Lord Foster is an architectural genius and feel that he could be the man to put us on the map once and for all. If you don’t know about him he is the architect that designed the spherical (soon to be in Leeds),

I presume you mean the Spiracle, which unfortunately is no longer heading our way.

I Don't mean to spoil the discussion, which can continue in a hyperthetical way.

 

[rabbits field]

Let's have some homegrown - Bauman Lyons.

:yes:

Also:
Diller Scofidio +Renfro
MvRdV
OMA

 

[Smoggie_Si]

I presume you mean the Spiracle, which unfortunately is no longer heading our way.

I Don't mean to spoil the discussion, which can continue in a hyperthetical way.

Wasn't the Spiracle designed by Ken Shuttleworth anyway?

 

[Val Verde]

There's no coincidence in creating a Norman Foster thread by any chance considering the League One Playoff yesterday was at Wembley Stadium, a Norman Foster building. hno:

Anyway yes a Foster would be really cool to have in Leeds although it is a shame he never had a building constructed in the city. However what about the fact that back in 1994 there was a plan at the Criterion Place site for a building designed by Norman Foster which was supposed to house a midrise office block of around 60-70m in height which had never taken place (and why was that and does no one have any pics of how this scheme appeared).

Was there any other unrealised Norman Foster proposals for buildings in Leeds or anywhere else in Yorkshire?

 

[raddileeds]

I think he would be perfect to design the arena (if the council havent already decided whos to design it)

 

[STOPGO]

I think he would be perfect to design the arena (if the council havent already decided whos to design it)

go to the arena thread, you will find its a spaceship design.

 

[di Livio]

Anyone else think Foster looks a bit like Danny LaRue?
Ok, it's just me.

 

[Suburban Knight]

Carey Jones is the best Leeds can hope for!!

 

[Rob]

Wasn't the Spiracle designed by Ken Shuttleworth anyway?

Yes, although Ken Shuttleworth is well known because he was a partner in Fosters where he had worked for nearly 30 years, hence any reference to Ken will be linked to references to Fosters (although he split off to form his own practice 'Make')

 

[Val Verde]

Carey Jones is the best Leeds can hope for!!

What about the Ian Simpson for Lumiere or all the big name architects proposing stuff for Eastgate such as Thomas Heatherwick and Terry Farrell. Of course there has been many notable architects working on Leeds buildings in the past such as George Gilbert Scott and Cuthbert Brodrick and as I mentioned earlier in this thread Norman Foster did design a building at the Criterion Place site in 1994.

Anyone else think Foster looks a bit like Danny LaRue?
Ok, it's just me.

Yes he certainly look a bit like him although I would think Bet Lynch surely when one thinks of Danny La Rue?

What about Telly Savalas as a lookalike and there is also a chap in the 1998 film Ronin (some Mafia type with sunglasses who is unnamed and is carrying that briefcase which is the focus of the film) who looks an awful lot like Norman Foster. Wonder why he would be in a Citroen XM though as a means of transport?

Note footage from Ronin is in Spanish and features some violence: