David Summerfield

Head of Studio at Foster + Partners Limited

David Summerfield joined Foster + Partners in 1992, initially working on Hong Kong International Airport, and was based in Hong Kong during this period. He then returned to London in 1994. David became a head of studio in 2008 and is a member of the Design Board and the Partnership Board. He is responsible for a number of high profile projects and has a growing body of work throughout USA. His current projects include, two residential towers in New York, the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, a mixed-use tower in San Francisco, a luxury apartment building in Miami and the 12,000 capacity Apple Park in Cupertino. David is also leading the design teams for various Apple flagship stores worldwide.

His recently completed work includes the Kulm Eispavillon, a project that restored an existing 1905 eispavillon into a new scheme that brings the building back to its original state. He also led the team for the Alen Yacht 68 which combines the elegant social spaces of a cruising yacht with the fun of a day boat; Crossrail Place at Canary Wharf in London which incorporates a large roof garden sheltered by a complex, latticed timber roof; and the new city hall for Buenos Aires, housing offices for the Mayor and 1,500 employees.

Some of David’s early roles included project director on the award-winning McLaren Technology Centre and was subsequently involved in two major projects in Astana, Kazakhstan – the Palace of Peace and the Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center. He was also responsible for the design of the Monaco Yacht Club. As a partner, and following promotion to senior partner in 2007, he led a team working on a range of international projects. These encompass a number of hotels and resorts, including the Marina Hotel at Kaplankaya in Turkey; Banyan Tree Corniche Bay in Mauritius; the Vista Palace Hotel in Monte Carlo; and the 56-meter sailing super yacht Panthalassa. This work led to similar high-end luxury developments ranging from a golf resort on the Chinese island of Hainan, in the South China Sea to a hotel in Bodrum, Turkey.

Timeline

  • Head of Studio

    Current role