Norman Foster and nine other architects design birdhouses for charity – you can bid

During Frieze 2025, Christie's presents 'Architects for Birds', an initiative by Norman Foster and the Tessa Jowell Foundation that raises funds to improve treatment for brain cancer across the NHS. Foster invited nine leading architecture practices to create a birdhouse (and contributed one himself), each design set to go under the hammer at Christie's in October.

The birdhouses will be on view at Christie’s King Street from 8 to 14 October 2025.

Architects for the Birds: 10 birdhouses

'Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on earth, including humans,' says Norman Foster. He cites researcher from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), who said that 'if you live in minimalist architecture without bird-friendly features, you can at least put up some birdhouses'.

The architects involved in the project include Renzo Piano, David Chipperfield, Grafton Architects, Sou Fujimoto, Lina Ghotmeh, Jacques Herzog, Frida Escobedo, Farshid Moussavi, and Kazuyo Sejima.

'There are good environmental reasons to encourage the design of facilities for birds, aside from the sheer pleasure of sharing the company of our feathered friends,' continues Foster. 'This connection to nature [...] is helpful for our physical and mental wellbeing. There is no better convening cause than that of the Tessa Jowell Foundation.'

Responding to an open brief, the birdhouses and feeders blend functional design with poetic folly, reflecting each architecture practice's aesthetic and ethos in compact form. The idea for the series was to delve into 'the possibilities of a more intimate architectural challenge, demonstrating the diversity of human imagination and exploring our relationship with nature'.

'We’re honoured to host “Architects for the Birds” at Christie’s – a project that unites creativity, care, and a shared sense of purpose,' says Giovanna Bertazzoni, Chairman Europe of Christie's. 'Each piece – generously conceived by one of today’s foremost figures in contemporary architecture – offers a unique and moving interpretation of what it means to create care through architecture.'