文档介绍：Meeting the Sainsburys
The following speech was given by Norman Foster on the occasion of the presentation to Sir
Robert and Lady Sainsbury of the Freedom of the City of Norwich, on 23 June 1999.
It was the morning of New Year's Day 1974 and I was standing in front of the door of number 5
Smith Square, for what I was told would be a brief meeting with Sir Robert Sainsbury about a
possible museum project.
Before ringing the bell I remember feeling apprehensive, nervous. I was not to know the extent to
which that meeting would influence my future as an architect and also my personal life. As it
turned out the ‘brief meeting’ with Sir Robert carried on through lunch, when I met Lady Sainsbury,
and continued until the end of the day.
Although it was more than 25 years ago I can remember it as if it were yesterday. I remember
leaving with three impressions. Firstly, their home — surprisingly modest, intimate and discreet.
Certainly the architecture was not spectacular, but every space was married with extraordinary
works of art — paintings and sculptures. It was bination of exquisite taste and restraint.
The second impression was the contrast between this very elegant couple and the radical nature
of their works of art — especially when I heard how they had discovered them.
For example there was a portrait of Lady Sainsbury by Francis Baco