The world-renowned architect Norman Foster will deliver his inaugural lecture as Visiting Professor in Architecture at 5 p.m. on Monday, 29 November, in the Examination Schools, Oxford University.

I am grateful to Lord Weidenfeld and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue for the invitation to be the Humanitas Visiting Professor of Architecture. This is a timely opportunity to consider 'performance' in architecture in the context of the rapid growth of cities and their populations, as the need to critically address issues of energy and the environment with an integrated approach to sustainable design is ever more imperative.

Lord Foster of Thames Bank OM

Norman Foster will address one of the key questions facing humanity in the next century: how do we accommodate sustainably even larger populations in cities in a way that does not recklessly deplete natural resources? The address offers an alternative vision, in an experiment, that is already becoming a practical reality in Masdar.

Unfortunately, due to high demand for the tickets, booking for this event is now closed. If you are still interested in this lecture, it will be possible to view a recording after the event.

+ For more information, click here.

In the course of Design Month Graz 2010 the project “Ready. Steady. Go!” by architects Sandra Janser and Elisabeth Koller won the first prize in the design competition for the installation of a visual frame in the Jakomini district.

"Ready. Steady. Go!" by Sandra Janser and Elisabeth Koller

"Ready. Steady. Go!" by Sandra Janser and Elisabeth Koller

The intention of this visual frame is to define the streets Jakoministraße and Klosterwiesgasse in order to mark them as a significant design area with a visible and positive identity.

The entrance to the Jakomini district is clearly recognized by the north and south street endings. The streets themselves are revamped leaving them with a fresh inviting look for visitors to explore.

"Ready. Steady. Go!" by Sandra Janser and Elisabeth Koller

"Ready. Steady. Go!" by Sandra Janser and Elisabeth Koller

The running track as presented in the project “Ready. Steady. Go!” was applied in September 2010. It attracts attention to the changes in the quarter and will make people stop and absorb the newly created atmosphere.

A total of 750 meters or 4600 square meters along the streets and pavements around the block are coloured in red, the lines separating the tracks are grey.

"Ready. Steady. Go!" by Sandra Janser and Elisabeth Koller

+ Designer: Sandra Janser and Elisabeth Koller
+ Location: Jakomini district, Graz, Austria