Norman Foster awarded Spanish Prince of Asturias Arts prize

Norman Foster has just been awarded the Prince of Asturias prize, one Spain’s highest honors. With this prize, the foundation that awards the prizes recognizes the capacity of architecture to define our times and advance culture. Foster’s name is thus added to the firmament of internationally acclaimed stars who have received Prince of Asturias awards, such as Margaret Atwood, Oscar Niemeyer, Paul Auster or Woody Allen, among others. The foundation qualified Foster as an “architect of the global era” whose works have a “universal reach” with an “original dominion of space, light and matter”: “His work stands out because of his constant commitment toward the most noble values of architecture, his open attitude toward innovation, his orientation toward quality in all of the development phases of a project, his interest in applying technology’s advances, the global dimension of his professional activity and his sensitivity toward the principles of sustainable development. ” The architect said it was a huge honor to receive the Prince of Asturias prize and a marvellous recognition of the importance of design as a catalyst for improving the quality of life.