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Coinciding with the upcoming Frieze Art Fair in London, a cohort of celebrated international architects has been assembled to design functional, one-of-a-kind birdhouses for a very good cause: brain cancer treatment. Called Architects for the Birds, the public exhibition, which will conclude with a private dinner auction in support of British brain cancer charity the Tessa Jowell Foundation, will be held at Christie’s King Street from October 8–14. The bidding price for each birdhouse starts at just under $34,000.

For the Birds prototype by Norman Foster. Photo by Michael Bodiam, courtesy Christie's Images Ltd. 2025

Among those involved is Norman Foster, who co-conceived the event with the foundation and personally invited nine fellow architects “to take on a more intimate architectural challenge: interpreting themes of sanctuary, care, and hope through the poetic medium of a birdhouse.” In addition to Foster, several fellow Pritzker Prize winners will donate original avian abodes, designed in response to an open brief, including Renzo Piano, Jacques Herzog, David Chipperfield, Kazuyo Sejima of SANAA, and Grafton Architects. Both Herzog and Grafton, which is led by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, have major U.S. projects featured in the forthcoming October issue of RECORD. Also invited to participate were Sou Fujimoto, Lina Ghotmeh, and Frida Escobedo—all of whom may be familiar to Londoners through their past Serpentine Pavilion designs—as well as award-winning Iranian-born British architect Farshid Moussavi.  

Bird Station by Frida Escobedo. Image courtesy Christie's Images Ltd. 2025

“There are good environmental reasons to encourage the design of facilities for birds, aside from the sheer pleasure of sharing the company of our feathered friends,” said Foster in a statement, noting their many vital roles, including as seed dispensers and ecosystem engineers.

The Tessa Jowell Foundation is named after the high-profile British politician who was the longest serving Secretary of State for Culture in the United Kingdom. She succumbed to brain cancer in 2018 at the age of 70. The nonprofit’s CEO is Jowell’s daughter, the singer/songwriter Jess Mills. She elaborates that all funds raised through the auction of the birdhouses will support the foundation’s mission to “transform treatment and care for brain cancer patients across the UK.”  

“We were blown away by the enthusiasm and commitment of the architects to take part,” Mills adds.

Drawing of Eanlann by Grafton Architects. Image courtesy Christie's Images Ltd. 2025

More information about Architects for the Birds can be found here.

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