David Nelson

Senior Executive Partner, Head of Design

RCA (MA)

David Nelson is a Senior Executive Partner, Head of Design and a member of the Design Board, a position he has held since 2004. Throughout his long career with Foster + Partners, he has played a key role in shaping its creative and operational direction. He has been involved in some of the practice’s most recognisable buildings, from the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters to Apple Park in Cupertino, as well as high profile projects in China, Singapore and Korea. As a member of the Design Board, David has an overview of every project. Each one benefits from the collective knowledge and expertise of Foster + Partners’ architects and specialist teams. The Design Board is at the heart of the design process, guiding and supporting teams, questioning, maintaining quality and focusing the practice’s collective experience at all stages. His understanding of the studio’s evolution, his open, collaborative mindset and continued leadership role has made David a key figure in Foster + Partners’ evolution; he also brings a global perspective, gained from living in Hong Kong and travelling extensively to construction sites and projects across the world.

David Nelson

In this studio our Specialist Design Services enhance the well-established role of what an architectural team has to achieve. Combining evermore diverse skills into the development of projects enriches and adds great meaning to everything we do. Continual development of shared experience is crucial.

Project Experience

Carré d'Art

1992

Canary Wharf Underground Station

1999

Legacy of Bodegas Faustino Winery

2024

Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

1978

Hotel Silken Puerta América

2005

Oceanwide Center

Masdar City

2014

Leedon Park House

2006

Datong Art Museum

2021

DUO Central Park

2018

UAE Pavilion Shanghai Expo 2010

2010

Izanami Motor Yacht

1995

Alen Yacht 68

2014

Repsol service stations

1998

Beijing Capital International Airport

2008

EXPO Station

2001

Marine Simulator Centre

1993

Index Tower

2011

Torre Cepsa

2009

McLaren Production Centre

2011

Bilbao Metro

1995

Duisburg masterplan

2007

Steve Jobs Theater

2017

Petronas University of Technology

2004

Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center

2010

Duisburg Housing

2001

The Murezzan

2007

China Merchants Bank

2026

Lenbachhaus

2013

Fortaleza Hall and the Commons

2010