norman foster, sou fujimoto, lina ghotmeh and more design birdhouses at christie’s in london

Architects’ birdhouses for charity on brain cancer research

Birdhouses designed by Norman Foster, Sou Fujimoto, Lina Ghotmeh, Frida Escobedo, and more are shown in the exhibition Architects for the Birds during London Frieze Week. Taking place at Christie’s London 20/21 Marquee Week between October 13th and 17th and during the Frieze Week between October 8th and 14th, 2025, the project led by Norman Foster brings together ten renowned architects to design homes for the birds for an exhibition and a charity auction supporting brain cancer research.

Norman Foster initiated the collaboration with the Tessa Jowell Foundation, inviting nine other architects to interpret themes of sanctuary, care, and hope through miniature architectural birdhouses. The participating architects include Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, David Chipperfield, Grafton Architects, Sou Fujimoto, Lina Ghotmeh, Jacques Herzog, Frida Escobedo, Farshid Moussavi, and Kazuyo Sejima/SANAA.

norman foster birdhouses
all images courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd. 2025 | photo by Michael Bodiam

Exhibition at Christie’s King Street during London’s Frieze Week

Each architect, including Norman Foster, who conceived the project, received an open brief allowing interpretation of the sanctuary theme, and the resulting birdhouses are set to be exhibited publicly at Christie’s King Street during London’s Frieze Week in October 2025, then sold at a private dinner auction. While specific construction details aren’t provided, each architect, including Norman Foster himself, likely approaches the birdhouses using materials and techniques consistent with their established design philosophies and architectural styles.

The scale shift from large buildings to small birdhouses poses technical challenges, as details that work at building scale may not function at miniature scale, requiring the contributing architects to rethink proportions and their joinery methods. The theme of sanctuary, care, and hope offers them a conceptual framework while allowing individual interpretation. Some architects focus on the protective aspects of shelter, such as Norman Foster’s tiered, lamp-like birdhouse, while others zero in on the nurturing qualities of home, including Frida Escobedo’s ladderized wooden open birdhouse and Grafton Architects’ playful resting rods.

norman foster birdhouses
Norman Foster, Birdfeeder, 2025. Prototype | photo by Michael Bodiam

‘Architects for the Birds’ to support research on brain cancer

Named Architects for the Birds, the exhibition coinciding with London Frieze Week and the auction by Christie’s represents a rare and collectible design challenge through birdhouses by the most revered architects of the present time. Each birdhouse is slated to be auctioned at a private dinner at Christie’s to support the work of the Tessa Jowell Foundation to improve treatment and care for people with brain cancer across the NHS in the UK.

The Tessa Jowell Foundation focuses on brain cancer treatment improvement, specifically addressing what they identify as the leading cancer killer of children and adults under 40. The foundation was established following Tessa Jowell’s death from brain cancer. She served as the UK’s longest-serving Secretary of State for Culture, which explains the cultural connections that enabled this architectural collaboration.

norman foster birdhouses
Norman Foster, Birdfeeder, 2025. Prototype | photo by Michael Bodiam