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Having spent nearly 25 years at Foster + Partners, architect Ben Dobbin has helped shape landmark projects including The Gherkin in London, the Vivaldi Towers in Amsterdam and Apple Park in California. You would imagine that working on international projects at a top-notch firm is enough to keep him busy, but for Dobbin, there's always room for another creative outlet. The San Francisco-based British architect still carves out time to make abstract digital art and continues to seek out new pursuits to satisfy his drive to create.
Case in point: his recent endeavor with The Dalmore, a whisky brand known for their commitment to creative collaborations. In 2025, he was commissioned to design the third chapter of The Dalmore's Luminary Series, which was unveiled at the Venice Biennale of Architecture. This limited-edition release was not just an exercise in multi-cask maturation -- an expertise of The Dalmore for 180 years -- but also a lesson on why nature is the ultimate designer.
"Working on The Luminary No.3 reminded me of how powerfully nature can influence my work. When I began working with The Dalmore, I was thinking about the water. Where does it come from? What's the source? That, ultimately, is one of the strongest foundations of the spirit. I became really intrigued by that, studying the Highlands and the topography around the lochs," says Dobbin.
The resulting undulating creation was directly influenced by what Dobbin saw during a visit to Scotland. He noticed how the low angle of the sun captured the surrounding landscapes perfectly. "There were still elements of snow in the mountains, and we stopped the car to get out and take photos. That moment was really the beginning of it all," he shares. "As architects we are always guided by the light -- the way that nature can be framed or integrated into our architecture."
Here, we speak to Dobbin on his creative process and what lies ahead.
You've worked at Foster + Partners since 2001. What keeps you engaged having worked there for almost 25 years?
My approach to architecture and design has been deeply shaped by my time at Foster + Partners. What continues to keep me engaged is the fact that we don't specialize in one project -- we take each one from concept to completion, treating it as if it were the first and most important project of our lives.
Every project presents a unique set of challenges: whether it's the site, the program, the client, or even the climate. The key is to hold all these variables together while ensuring that each project pushes beyond what we've done before, even though the analytical process we apply remains consistent.
Apple Park in California has been one of your -- and the firm's -- biggest projects to date. Can you share your personal highlights of working on this?
The most memorable experience was the wealth of talent that was brought to bear on the project at every scale. It was not only architects, but engineers, landscape architects, industrial designers and incredibly skilled fabricators from all across the world.
I will never forget those design sessions, where as a team, we were able to innovate and drive forward truly integrated design products that are an integral part of the architecture. The result is completely unique and highly refined in both appearance and experience.
You've also just finished the restoration of the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. How was working on an existing structure different from building a new landmark?
The difficulty at the start of working with a new building is to try and identify what belongs to the original vision and what has been added, and is extraneous. We always endeavor to go back through history and find out what value to the architecture experience each component is providing.
As we started to physically unpick the accretions, there are always surprises -- things that were not on any drawings. Some surprises are headaches and some can become a part of the new vision. For instance the cross-bracing in the lobby that now forms the main entry.
As a British architect based in California, how have your perspectives shifted during your time living in the United States?
As someone based in San Francisco but deeply rooted in European architecture, I see myself as a bridge between these two worlds. I still very much identify as both British and European, so for me, it's more about blending these perspectives. I believe there's real potential to bring fresh thinking to the U.S., particularly in areas like creating buildings that better engage with public space. While there are strong examples here, I think we can elevate urbanism and city-making by applying some of the key lessons learned from European cities.
Whisky has always been a part of your life. What drew you to The Dalmore brand so much so you wanted to work with them?
When I was approached to collaborate with The Dalmore and V&A Dundee on the Luminary Series, I immediately said yes! What drew me to the project was the chance to support Scotland's first design museum and education for arts and design in Scotland. I think creatively collaborating with The Dalmore on the Luminary No.3 project reminded me how vital it is to trust your instincts. This wasn't a typical architectural commission; it was more open-ended and interpretive. I had to tune into the sensory world: taste, form, emotion. It pushed me to explore synesthesia -- how flavor might translate into structure and visual motion.
Also, working alongside The Dalmore's award-winning Luminary Whisky Maker Gregg Glass, and Master Distiller Richard Paterson OBE, understanding how they design flavor and build complexity into taste taught me a lot about precision and flow which now influence my approach to form.
Working on The Luminary No.3 felt also genuinely special because whisky is something that's very much in my DNA. My father was the one who first introduced me to the spirit; so when the opportunity to work with The Dalmore came about it felt deeply personal.
What were three key moments when working on the bespoke sculpture and the whisky itself?
The first moment was the immersive tour with Gregg Glass of The Dalmore extensive collection of casks, finding our way through and discussing tastes and experiences. The second moment came after leaving the distillery and finding inspiration from the sculptural forms of the Highlands. The third came after the first round of designs and the idea came -- to lift the bottle up and that completed the whole concept of the sculpture.
Let's talk about digital art, which you make in your spare time. What are you currently working on now?
Art has always been a release for me; it's where everything began. I started by quietly drawing in the corner as a child, and over time that evolved into creating digital art. Unlike architecture, which is collaborative and highly structured, art is personal and free-flowing. I need both practices in my life because they balance each other.
Art gives me the freedom to explore without limitations while architecture keeps me grounded in reality of built world. Whilst my art inhabits abstract realm , I see more and more parallels with my work in architecture . But it comes from different angle ; focused on stacking , accumulation hyper-data consumption .
You've professed a fascination for the intersection of technology and design. Do you think AI will harm -- or elevate -- the creative industry?
Speaking within realm architecture , I believe human experience always comes first . Tools like AI 3D modelling allow us iterate quickly efficiently , but can’t replace intuition . At Foster + Partners , for example , we still build multiple physical models truly understand space feels . Architecture not just visual discipline -- tactile , mobile , spatial , deeply emotional . That’s something technology can’t really replicate .