Norman Foster

Norman Foster received the inaugural BIA Award, presented, per initiative of the Basque-Navarre Institute of Architects (COAVN), by the new Bilbao Bizkaia Architecture platform, whose objective is to “face the challenges of the profession from concepts such as internationalization, exchange or civic participation.” Under the motto ‘Urban Regeneration Forum,’ the new biennial event aims to spark a debate on “how to make cities better” and gave the prize to Foster in recognition of his contribution to architecture and urban regeneration, emphasizing the importance in this sense of his Bilbao Metro, an infrastructure whose construction was an incomparable experience for the British architect. In his acceptance speech, the architect recognized that seeing the tunneling machines below ground was “almost religious,” and a moment when one becomes aware of the forces of nature. The tribute to Norman Foster, held at the atrium of the Guggenheim Museum, was the highlight of a series of events organized in the context of a congress that, with different arguments, will be held biennially and aims to become a point of reference at international level.