Foreign Office Architects

Foreign Office Architects, FOA, was an architectural design studio headed by former husband and wife team Farshid Moussavi and Alejandro Zaera-Polo. The London-based studio, which was established in 1993, specialised in architectural design, master planning and interior design services for both public and private sector clients. Following the end of the couple's marriage, the winding up of the studio's activities was announced in December 2009. The establishment of two new practices, FMA (Farshid Moussavi Architecture) and London/Barcelona based AZPA Limited followed in 2011.

The "Foreign" in the company's name referred to the principals' heritage, with Zaera–Polo hailing from Spain and Moussavi from Iran. The company produced projects in Japan, the United States, the Netherlands and Spain.

FOA emerged as one of the most significant architecture and urban design practices of its time, and become known for combining technical innovation with design excellence. FOA's designers were critically acclaimed, and won several awards. In their approach to architecture, the designers were hailed as new pragmatists, employing technical rigor in their focus on organic growth and the evolution of design ‘species’ hybridizing uses relating to both local and global conditions. Their work addressed a variety of locations and typologies.

The studio's first project, which is considered its landmark achievement, was the Yokohama Pier Port Terminal in Japan. The Terminal has been described as a hybrid of non-Cartesian industrial infrastructure and versatile social functionality. The commission was awarded after an international competition held in 1995; the terminal was completed in 2002.

In the UK:

In Spain: (where FOA maintained a local branch)

Projects in other European locations:

Projects in Asia:

In the USA:

FOA won several prestigious competitions and commissions, including the BBC Music Box for the firm’s White City complex in 2003. The practice played a central creative role in the Masterplanning team for the London 2012 Olympics Park, site-wide infrastructure and accompanying long-term regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley (2002–2007) and was selected as part of the United Architects team to submit a design for the World Trade Center in New York in 2002, in the aftermath of 9/11.

The practice has been published in numerous monographs and catalogues globally:

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