When Floridians first heard that Norman Foster had agreed to take on the expansion of the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, they were impressed. It seemed surprising that the Pritzker Prize–winning architect, renowned for the Apple headquarters in California, the Gherkin in London, and the airport in Beijing, would accept a commission from a small museum specializing in American and European painting and Chinese works of art.
But the pairing was kismet. In 2010, Norton director Hope Alswang was in New York discussing a possible addition with museum trustee Gil Mauer, COO of the Hearst Corporation. Mauer asked which architect would top her wish list. Feeling cocky, she answered: “Norman Foster.” To which he replied, to her utter surprise, “I’ll call him right now.” Alswang didn’t realize that Mauer was the executive instrumental in bringing in Foster to design the new Hearst headquarters (2006) in which they were sitting.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.