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This page first appeared 20 October 1995.
An architect's finest hour occurs when his or her creation alters the skyline of a city. British architect Norman Foster has already designed one of Hong Kong's most lauded landmarks - the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank. Completed in 1985, and one of the costliest office buildings ever constructed, it was intended to be simply "the best bank building in the world." The steel-and-glass structure resembles a Goliath erector set looming above Hong Kong's Central district. It even appears on the Territory's banknotes.
"The bank," as it is known in Hong Kong, brought the architect international celebrity status. Few then were surprised when Foster managed to land the airport terminal project - one of the choicest commissions in the current architectural universe.
Norman Foster is no stranger to transportation projects. He designed the International Terminal at Stansted Airport in London, the British Rail terminal at King's Cross, and is currently building a commuter rail station in Kowloon, Hong Kong. And as the pilot of his own helicopter, Norman Foster is no stranger to aviation.
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