Norman Foster, Grafton and Jacques Herzog design bird feeders for brain cancer charity auction

Ten leading architects including Norman Foster, Grafton Architects and Jacques Herzog have designed bird feeders that will be auctioned at Christie's during Frieze London 2025.

Conceived by Foster, the Architects for the Birds initiative will raise money for the Tessa Jowell Foundation – an organisation that aims to improve the treatment and care of people with brain cancer across the NHS.

Grafton Architects playful bronze and copper birdhouse — Grafton Architects has created a timber and metal bird feeder. Photo courtesy of Grafton Architects. Top: Kazuyo Sejima designed a bird bath. Photo courtesy of Kazuyo Sejima

Responding to an open brief, the 10 architects – including Foster himself – set out to design a series of birdhouses, feeders and baths, that draw upon themes of sanctuary, care and hope.

Alongside Foster, Grafton Architects and Herzog, participating architects include Renzo Piano, David Chipperfield, Frida Escobedo, Lina Ghotmeh, Farshid Moussavi, Sou Fujimoto and Kazuyo Sejima.

Several of the final pieces have been revealed ahead of the auction, with all of the bird feeders set to be unveiled at an exhibition alongside the auction.

Norman Foster's green aluminium birdhouse — Norman Foster created a dark green feeder and bird bath. Photo by Michael Bodiam

Foster created a matte green bird feeder and matching bird bath composed of spun aluminium cones, which is based on a design that what unveiled at Milan design week earlier this year.

Two separate chambers were designed to hold different types of feed to attract a variety of species.

"Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on earth, including humans," said Foster. "As members of the ecosystem, birds play many roles, including predators, pollinators, scavengers, seed dispensers, seed predators and ecosystem engineers."

"In other words, 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," he continued.

"This connection to nature, more recently called biophilia, is helpful for our physical and mental wellbeing."

Birdhouse made from repurposed kitchen utensils — Jacques Herzog's bird feederBirdhouses will be auctioned by Christie's during Frieze London 2025. Photo courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

Irish studio Grafton Architects' playful response consists of a rotating structure made from bronze and copper, while Sejima designed a small bird bath that can attach directly to a branch.

A range of materials were used in the designs, including repurposed kitchen utensils stacked on top of one another for Herzog's bird feeder, which provides a space for both eating and bathing.

Italian architect Piano opted for a functional approach, creating red and yellow lantern-like stations that offer food, water and shelter to small birds throughout the year.

Yellow lantern-like birdhouse by Renzo Piano — Renzo Piano created a lantern-like feeder. Photo courtesy of Renzo Piano Building Workshop

The remaining five bird feeders, by Sejima, Ghotmeh, Fujimoto, Escobedo and Moussavi will be included in an exhibition open to the public at Christie's King Street from 8 to 14 October 2025.

Following the exhibition, the pieces will go up for auction, with proceeds going to the Tessa Jowell Foundation.

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