Norman Foster (born June 1, 1935, in Manchester, England) is a celebrated British architect known for merging modern aesthetics with cutting-edge technology. After earning his architecture degree from the University of Manchester in 1961, he obtained a master's from Yale in 1962. In 1967, he founded Foster + Partners, a globally influential firm. His iconic projects include the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong, the Reichstag’s glass dome in Berlin, and London’s "Gherkin." Renowned for innovation and sustainability, Foster has received numerous accolades, including the 1999 Pritzker Prize, cementing his legacy as a leading figure in contemporary architecture.