In our meeting at the Fundació Enric Miralles, Benedetta Tagliabue talked about how Norman Foster has always been very well known in architecture schools, being ‘a reference in the world of architecture since long time ago’. She first met him personally in 1999, when Barcelona was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal.

For Tagliabue, Norman’s attitude towards historical buildings is outstanding. Talking about the Reichtag, she defines it as ‘beautiful, strong’ a building that integrates with history and with the public ‘in a very beautiful way’.

The Collserola Tower is one of the most recognizable spots in Barcelona’s skyline. Benedetta looks at it very often, fascinated about its lightness, how it was built, and how structurally daring it is. One of the things she admires the most about Norman is that he can always outdo himself, even when it seems imposible.

Benedetta Tagliabue is an internationally renowned architect, with works and direct commissions all over the world, founder with Enric Miralles of the international studio Miralles Tagliabue EMBT in 1994, now Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT, with offices in Barcelona, Shanghai and Paris.

Her most notable works include the Scottish Parliament in Edinburg, the Santa Caterina Market, the headquarters of Gas Natural Fenosa and the Diagonal Mar Park in Barcelona, and the Spanish Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, winner of the prestigious RIBA Best International Building 2011 Award.