Norman Foster is unarguably one of the greatest architects of the last half century. We're delighted that he joins Country Life magazine for a very special episode of the podcast.
Speaking to Country Life's Carla Passino, Lord Foster describes how he left school in Manchester at 16 before eventually working his way through university in order to forge a career as an architect, a role in which he has reshaped countless cities — not least London.
He shares his view on what makes London the city that it is, how it is a city that 'is essentially organic', and how its informality, copious green spaces and thriving neighbourhoods model can help popularise the concept of the 15-minute city across the world, and what he has to say to those who criticise how he, and his imitators, have reshaped the skyline of the British capital.
The architect also talks about his other key passion in life: flying. The 89-year-old has flown 75 different types of aircraft, including helicopters and jets.
Lord Foster also talks about the work of the Norman Foster Foundation, which officially opened in Madrid on January 22nd, and how he is trying to help tomorrow's architects to plan and create cities which are as sustainable as they are vibrant and liveable.
You can listen to the episode on this page, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts
- Listen to Country Life podcast on Spotify
- Listen to Country Life podcast on Google Podcasts
- Listen to Country Life podcast on Audible
Episode Credits
- Host: James Fisher
- Interviewer: Carla Passino:
- Guest: Lord Foster
- Editor/Producer: Toby Keel
- Music: JuliusH
- Special thanks: Adam Wilbourn
Credit: Country Life Picture Library
'The best job in the world': Listen to Mark Hedges on The Country Life Podcast
Country Life has launched a podcast, and for the first episode we're pulling back the curtain on the making of
Naughty sheep, clever cows and a lifetime of farming: Rosamund Young on the Country Life Podcast
Listen to best-selling author Rosamund Young on the latest edition of the Country Life Podcast.
Norman Foster: 'London is essentially organic.'
Norman Foster on the Country Life podcast: 'The Green Belt is one of our greatest inventions'
Lord Norman Foster, one of Britain's great architects, joins the Country Life podcast.
Credit: Rosie Paterson
An insider's guide to travelling the world: Hot destinations, missing underwear and dodging volcanoes
Country Life's Travel Editor Rosie Paterson joins the podcast to share her wisdom, experience — and a disturbing number of blunders.
Tom Kerridge.
Tom Kerridge: 'Fish and chips on Brighton beach can be every bit as magical as a Michelin three-star restaurant'
Tom Kerridge, one of Britain's top chefs, is the guest on this week's Country Life podcast.
The Isle of Scarba, Patrick Galbraith's home for the week, as viewed from Luing.
My week surviving on an uninhabited Scottish island
Patrick Galbraith joins the Country Life podcast to talk about his week living on the uninhabited island of Scarba, off
Credit: Getty Images
How (not) to fix up a country house, by our interiors guru Giles Kime
Ignore your friends, take a long view and steer clear of anything that smacks of being fashionable: Giles Kime shares
Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire: one of John Goodall's five favourite castles.
My five favourite castles, by Country Life's Architectural Editor John Goodall
Listen to Dr John Goodall on the Country Life podcast as he names his five favourite castles in Britain — and
Nobody in Britain has seen more of the nation's great country houses than Penny Churchill.
Boom, bust and property lust: Penny Churchill on 30 years of Britain’s best houses
Nobody in Britain has seen more of the nation's great country houses than Penny Churchill.
-
This blissful converted mill has sweeping views, a breathtaking library and gardens by a Chelsea gold medallistPenny Churchill takes a look at Stanbridge Mill, one of the finest properties for sale today in the west country.
-
The smooth collie: A working breed with beauty and brainsOnce the go-to Scottish herding dog, the smooth collie is as elegant as it is dependable — a working breed with beauty and brains.
-
Neil Armstrong and Sir Edmund Hillary’s joint adventure to the Arctic that you've never heard about and what its re-creation can tell us about the state of EarthIn 1985, Neil Armstrong and Sir Edmund Hillary adventured to the North Pole; 40 years later, their children re-created the expedition.
-
Ken Follett on Stonehenge, building cathedrals, and the glaring flaw in Shakespeare's greatest soliloquyThe bestselling author Ken Follett joins the Country Life Podcast
-
'The greatest collection of Surrealism to emerge in recent history’: The contents of iconic art collector Pauline Karpidas’s London home are heading to auctionWorks by Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso are included in the sale of the items in the collector's apartment which overlooks Hyde Park.
-
The piece I'd never part with: A portrait of blues singer Lead Belly by the 'tricky old rogue' who accidentally kicked one of the Royal corgisA vigorous portrait of blues singer Lead Belly rekindles art dealer Sara Stewart’s memories of the infuriating genius Howard Morgan.
-
Maria de la Orden’s consuming passions: Dark chocolate, Hockney and the diamond accessories that remind her of her familyThe Paris-based designer of sophisticated clothing gives Country Life a peek into the things she loves the most.
-
Levison Wood: Trekking the Nile, near-death experiences and why nothing beats a cup of tea and a piece of toastThe adventurer, explorer, writer and film-maker Levison Wood joins James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast.
-
Is there enough beauty and hope left in the natural world to counter the current state of global despair?Trees are dying, our food is covered in chemicals and we are stuck in a deteriorating international security situation.
-
Bruce Hodgson: Artichoke's founder on catflaps, carpentry and the future of craftsBruce Hodgson, one of Britain's best furniture makers and carpenters, joins the Country Life Podcast.
