role marking the transformation of the Reichstag to New Bundestag. At night the mirrorswhich funnel daylight into the chamber would work in reverse—acting as a signal on theskyline to show that Parliament was in session. There were obvious analogies withlighthouses and beacons. This solution also combined ramps to a high-level publicviewing platform which worked well with the roof level.33 Foster’s design was dramatic. This dome would funnel light into the building during the daytime.It would serve a public purpose, allowing for elevated viewing. Moreover, as visitors traveled upthe spiral walkway around the dome, they were circling above the German parliament, remindingcitizens that their democracy was centered in the new Reichstag. There was also a symbolicfeature for the MPs, for while they debated and worked in the building below (and especially inthe Member’s Chamber), the public, the citizens of Germany stood above them; Foster makes thestatement that in a democracy, government should work for the people. This glass dome servedto give the Reichstag a significant, emotional impact.The Reichstag again embodies Foster’s notion of light and transparency. Above aweighty and monumental building, Foster suspended a dome which seems to float weightlessly.It is no ordinary dome; it is completely transparent, hearkening back to Foster’s previous designsbut also suggesting that democracy should be transparent and inviting. The dome, with its use of reflective glass, also serves as an eye-catching beacon to individuals observing the Berlinskyline. The original Reichstag building was squat and thick; however, the dome serves toremind those who view it that the new Reichstag is a very different building.The building also encompasses Foster’s idea of high-technology, as all of the elements inthe building were computer tested and even the dome was subjected to computer windsimulations in order to maximize space and minimize excess. The building, and again especiallythe dome, includes air extraction and light collection methods. Its power station also burns aspecial linseed fuel mixture, based on corn oil, not any sort of fossil fuels, thus minimizing itsenergy consumption. In fact, the building serves to power many of the governmental buildingssurrounding it.

T h e E d g e o f   R e a l i t y : F o s t e r ’ s D e s i g n I d e a l sI believe that Foster’s design technique, while manifested differently at each site, can besummarized and concentrated in the form of basic principles.34 Flexibility: Foster believes that it is important to eliminate divisions in buildings. If architectural divisions are eliminated, Foster argues, then internal divisions will also beeliminated. Illustrating his ideas, The Commerzbank and Hongkong & Shanghai Bank buildingwere built so as to eliminate internal structural components and free space. Foster believes thatflexibility is essential to a building, as the myriad roles of life—commercial, residential, andpolitical—will atrophy if bound by discreet walls. In the commercial world, walls separateemployees and discourage communication; eliminating walls eliminates that separation. Inresidential buildings, flexibility allows the resident to choose his own living style, instead of having that style dictated by the building. The political world requires flexibility in order to adaptto the continually changing political sphere. A building that is not flexible, Foster believes, is anobsolete building. In designing buildings for flexibility, Foster places them in a design traditionthat reaches back to Albert Kahn. Kahn built factories which had no internal obstacles—he made

 a scientific process of architectural design. Kahn created buildings that serve machines to createmachines. Foster took Kahn’s approach and applied it to different building types.Light: Foster’s fixation on the element of light is obvious. Foster believes that throughthe harnessing and collection of light, individuals living in the modern world relate to nature.The design of each of Foster’s buildings takes into consideration light and its effects on thestructure. Most of his commercial buildings have a central atrium that draws light to the core of the building. Foster believes, as demonstrated in the Gamble house in Pasadena, that light has ahealing function, one that keeps individuals sane in a busy, modern world. In each building,Foster deals with light by a different and innovative method, trying to understand the ways inwhich light affects the building and the individual. For example, the louvers in the Kawanahouse manipulate light for the owner’s benefit. Alternatively, in the Reichstag, Foster uses lightas a beacon to remind German citizens that the building serves as their democratic center.

Inlooking at his previous structures, Foster approaches the element of light by a different method ineach building. The Willis-Faber & Dumas building has walls of glass which become transparentat night, allowing outsiders to see inside. The Hongkong & Shanghai Bank building and theCentury Tower challenge ideas of inside and outside through their large, transparent glass curtainwalls. The Kawana house in Tokyo is structured much like Johnson’s glass house with giant wallpanels of glass, allowing insiders to see out as well as outsiders to view the interior. TheHongkong & Shanghai Bank has giant light scoops which reflect light into and down thebuilding.Layers: Foster seems to believe that a building must affect the observer by presentingdifferent layers and vistas, sending a direct message. The Reichstag layers public viewing areasabove political buildings to send the message that politics should work to support the citizen. Inmany of his commercial buildings, Foster layers curtain walls and structural members to juxtapose the ideas of opacity (private) and translucency (public)—for commercial enterprisesmust balance both public and private aspects. In layering an effect on a building, Foster is able toput two, often differing ideas adjacent to each other in order to synthesize a whole. TheReichstag also layers the idea of old and new, symbolizing the recombination of East and WestGermany into a unified whole.High-tech: Foster believes that in designing his buildings, the most technologicallyadvanced solution must be considered. He believes that in using high-tech equipment andpushing the edge of structural engineering, he is able to push the edge of architectural designing.Using high-tech equipment allows Foster to break through usual paradigms of building and findsolutions, such as pushing structural members to the edge of skyscrapers. Foster also believesthat high-tech buildings are more flexible and radical, and thus more distinctive. A high-techbuilding, according to Foster, is also energy efficient. Foster believes that paying attention to theecology of a building is highly important, for technology affords the architect methods by whichto design a building more ecologically efficient.C o n c l u s i o nNorman Foster is often described as “the most envied architect in the world.” Fostercertainly deserves this honor, given his long career and the acclaim that many of his buildingshave received. He often ignores the usual trends and traditional methods of architecture andenvisions new solutions to design

challenges. I believe that Foster has cultivated this radicalnature in his architectural upbringing, starting with his informal education of Le Corbusier and

 continuing through with his graduate education at Yale under Paul Rudolph and Phillip Johnson.In the latter half of the twentieth century, Norman Foster has designed buildings which arethoroughly modern and envisioned new paradigms for architectural design. With his innovativedesigns and radical ideas, Norman Foster has indelibly stamped his image onto the milieu of modern architecture.