The Norman Foster Foundation has received the 2018 Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts proposed by the Spanish Ministry Of Culture and granted by the Council Of Ministers.

The Foundation, established by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Norman Foster and opened in 2017, serves as a new Research Centre and extensive Norman Foster Archive and Library in Madrid.

The Norman Foster Foundation Headquarters was initiated to delve into interdisciplinary thinking and research to support new generations of architects, designers and urbanists to anticipate the future. 

Norman Foster Foundation, Madrid, Spain. Image © Luis Asín

One year on from the launch of the Norman Foster Foundation, the Foundation has been awarded with the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts, an award granted by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports to individuals and institutions from the world of culture, to recognize those who have excelled in the arts or have served to promote the arts. 

Previous recipients include Juan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Plácido Domingo, Luis Buñuel, Cristina Iglesias and the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao.

The Norman Foster Foundation is a non-profit body which is headquartered in Madrid but operates globally. It promotes interdisciplinary thinking and research to help new generations of architects, designers, engineers, urbanists and artists to anticipate the future. Its recent focus has been on issues of the cities, climate change, artificial intelligence and robotics.

"Lord Foster, President of the Norman Foster Foundation, speaking on behalf of its Trustees, Honorary Trustees, the Advisory Board and all members of the team, would like to express his gratitude for this prestigious award,"  said in a press statement by the Norman Foster Foundation.

"He would also like to thank the individuals, institutions and entities for their generous support and encouragement of the Foundation, its missions, archive, educational programmes and projects."

Image courtesy of Norman Foster Foundation

The Norman Foster Foundation is currently collaborating with Government of Odisha, Housing and Urban Development Department and Tata Trusts to design and develop master plans for slums under Odisha LiveableHabitat Mission. 

The Foundation will also hold a Digital X workshop at the Norman Foster Foundation headquarters in Madrid, Spain, 18–22 February 2019.

The Digital X workshop, mentored by Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder and former director of MIT Media Lab, will comprise a team of granted scholars drawn from the diverse backgrounds of the digital world, design and architecture.

Top image © Guillermo Rodríguez

> via The Norman Foster Foundation