Sir David Frank Adjaye (born 22 September 1966) is a Ghanaian-British
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
. He is known for having designed many notable buildings around the world, including the
National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was established in December 2003 and opened its permanent home in ...
in
Washington, D.C. Adjaye was knighted in the
2017 New Year Honours
The 2017 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours were awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...
for services to
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
. He is the recipient of the 2021
Royal Gold Medal
The Royal Gold Medal for architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture. It is gi ...
, making him the first African recipient and one of the youngest recipients. He was made a member of the
Order of Merit
The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by ...
in 2022.
Early life and education
Adjaye was born in
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
,
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
. The son of a
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Tog ...
ian diplomat, he lived in Tanzania,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
,
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast and ...
and
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...
before moving to Britain at the age of nine.
Upon graduating with a BA in Architecture from
London South Bank University
London South Bank University (LSBU) is a public university in Elephant and Castle, London. It is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name. Founded in 1892 as the Borough ...
in 1990, he was nominated for the
RIBA President's Medals, and won the
RIBA Bronze Medal for the best design project produced at BA level worldwide. He graduated with an MA in 1993 from the
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It ...
.
Career
In 1993, the same year of graduation, Adjaye won the RIBA Bronze Medal Award, a prize offered for RIBA Part 1 projects, normally won by students who have only completed a bachelor's degree. Previously a unit tutor at the
Architectural Association
The Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, commonly referred to as the AA, is the oldest independent school of architecture in the UK and one of the most prestigious and competitive in the world. Its wide-ranging programme ...
, he was also a lecturer at the Royal College of Art. He was knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to architecture, following an OBE in 2007. Adjaye is the recipient of the 2021 Royal Gold Medal. Given in recognition of a lifetime's work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Her Majesty the Queen and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence 'either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture'.
Early projects
Early works include many residential projects such as
Chris Ofili
Christopher Ofili, (born 10 October 1968) is a British Turner Prize-winning painter who is best known for his paintings incorporating elephant dung. He was one of the Young British Artists. Since 2005, Ofili has been living and working in T ...
's house in 1999, Dirty House and Glass House in 2002, and Lorna Simpson's studio-home in 2006. He then moved onto larger scale projects such as the
Idea Store in Whitechapel, UK, and the
Nobel Peace Center
The Nobel Peace Center ( no, Nobels Fredssenter) in Oslo, Norway is a showcase for the Nobel Peace Prize and the ideals it represents. The center is also an arena where culture and politics merge to promote involvement, debate and reflection around ...
in Oslo, Norway, in 2005.
The studio's first solo exhibition, ''David Adjaye: Making Public Buildings'', was shown at the
Whitechapel Gallery in London in January 2006, with
Thames and Hudson
Thames & Hudson (sometimes T&H for brevity) is a publisher of illustrated books in all visually creative categories: art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and the performing arts. It also publishes books on archaeology, history, ...
publishing the catalogue of the same name. This followed their 2005 publication of Adjaye's first book, ''David Adjaye Houses''.
Other prominent early works include the
Bernie Grant Arts Centre
The Bernie Grant Arts Centre (BGAC) is a £15 million purpose-built multi-arts centre, which includes a 274-seat auditorium, studio/rehearsal space, café/bar, enterprise centre and open spaces. It is located next to the Town Hall in Tottenham, ...
and the Stephen Lawrence Centre in 2007.
Major works
Adjaye was selected to design the
Museum of Contemporary Art Denver which opened in 2007. The building, Adjaye's first museum commission, was designed to minimize boundaries between the exterior spaces of the city and the interior galleries of the museum. Hidden skylights fill the interior spaces with natural light, and large windows look out on the city streets. The building has five galleries as well as dedicated education spaces, a shop, library and rooftop café.
Adjaye won a competition to design the
Moscow School of Management Skolkovo which was completed in 2010. Rejecting the traditional campus-style, the building is designed as one form to encourage student interaction.
Adjaye designed two new neighbourhood libraries in Washington, D.C.: the
Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library
Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library is part of the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) System. It was originally opened to the public in 1961. A new building on the same site, designed by award-winning architect David Adjaye opened on ...
and the
Bellevue / William O. Lockridge Library which opened in 2012.
The award-winning libraries are celebrated for being community beacons.
In 2015, the
Aishti Foundation, a mixed art gallery and retail space, opened in Beirut, Lebanon. The gallery space is over 40,000 square feet. Adjaye's design marries art viewing with shopping, two seemingly conflicting experiences.
On 15 April 2009, Adjaye was selected lead architect for the team of architects, which includes the Freelon Group, Davis Brody Bond and SmithGroup, to design the new $540 million
National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was established in December 2003 and opened its permanent home in ...
, a
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Found ...
museum, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
[ His design features a crown motif from ]Yoruba
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
sculpture. The museum opened in the fall of 2016 and was named "the cultural event of the year" by ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. It was also the subject of a profile on the Sky Arts
Sky Arts (originally launched as Artsworld) is a British free-to-air television channel offering 24 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music (such as opera perfor ...
programme '' The Art of Architecture'' in 2019. Furniture that Adjaye designed for the museum is manufactured and sold by Knoll.
In 2007, artist Linda Pace reached out to Adjaye to design a contemporary art centre for her art collection shortly before she died from breast cancer that year
Ruby City
located in San Antonio, Texas
("Cradle of Freedom")
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, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_ ...
, opened in 2019.
In 2018, 1199SEIU President George Gresham reached out to Adjaye, who later accepted the commission to design the new 16,500-square-foot member space. The designed featured hundreds of photos gathered from the union's vast photo archive and placed on ceramic tiles produced by Cerámica Suro in Guadalajara, Mexico. The 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is located in New York, New York and was completed in 2020. The designed was named Architect's Newspaper Best of Design for Interior Workplace in 2020.
In 2017, Adjaye in conjunction with HuntonBrady Architects, revealed the design of the Winter Park Library and Events Center in Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 30,183 according to the 2022 census population estimate. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Winter Park was f ...
. The library officially opened to the public on December 13, 2021. In 2022, it was the Jury Winner in the Library Category for the Architizer A+ Awards.
Other commissions
Alongside his international commissions, Adjaye's work spans exhibitions, private homes and furniture. He built homes for the designer Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashio ...
, artist Jake Chapman, photographer Jürgen Teller
Juergen Teller (born 28 January 1964) is a German fine-art and fashion photographer. He was awarded the Citibank Prize for Photography in 2003 and received the Special Presentation International Center of Photography Infinity Award in 2018.
Maj ...
, actor Ewan McGregor
Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...
, and artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster
Timothy Noble (born 1966) and Susan Webster (born 1967), are British artists who work as a collaborative duo. They are associated with the post-YBA generation of artists.
Early lives and careers
Noble and Webster attended fine art foundation ...
. For artist Chris Ofili
Christopher Ofili, (born 10 October 1968) is a British Turner Prize-winning painter who is best known for his paintings incorporating elephant dung. He was one of the Young British Artists. Since 2005, Ofili has been living and working in T ...
, he designed a new studio and a beach house in Port of Spain
Port of Spain ( Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a muni ...
, Trinidad.
Adjaye is also known for his collaborations with contemporary artists on installations and exhibitions. He worked with Ofili to create an environment for '' The Upper Room'', which was later acquired by Tate Britain
Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...
and caused a nationwide media debate. Adjaye collaborated with artist Olafur Eliasson
Olafur Eliasson ( is, Ólafur Elíasson; born 5 February 1967) is an Icelandic–Danish artist known for sculptured and large-scale installation art employing elemental materials such as light, water, and air temperature to enhance the viewer's ...
to create a light installation, ''Your black horizon'', at the 2005 Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...
. He has also worked on the art project '' Sankalpa'' with director Shekhar Kapur
Shekhar Kulbhushan Kapur (born 6 December 1945) is an Indian filmmaker and actor. Born into the Anand-Sahni family, Kapur is the recipient of several accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a National Film Award, a National Board of Review Award a ...
.[Milmo, Cahal (24 July 2009)]
"David Adjaye: Downfall of the showman"
''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
''. In May 2019, the Ghana Freedom Pavilion - designed by David - was inaugurated at the 58th Venice Art Biennale. He also designed the 56th Venice Art Biennale with the late curator Okwui Enwezor; the River Reading Room for the Gwangju Biennale; and the Sclera Pavilion for the London Design Festival.
Adjaye co-authored two seasons of BBC's '' Dreamspaces'' television series and hosts a BBC radio programme. In June 2005, he presented the documentary ''Building Africa: Architecture of a Continent''. In 2008, he participated in Manifesta
Manifesta, also known as the European Nomadic Biennial, is a European pan-regional contemporary cultural biennale.
History
Manifesta was founded in 1994 by Dutch art historian Hedwig Fijen. The first edition took place in Rotterdam. One of t ...
7 and the Gwangju Biennale
The Gwangju Biennale is a contemporary art biennale founded in September 1995 in Gwangju, South Jeolla province, South Korea. The Gwangju Biennale is hosted by the Gwangju Biennale Foundation and the city of Gwangju. The Gwangju Biennale Found ...
. ''Making Place: The Architecture of David Adjaye'' was on display at the Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
from September 2015 to January 2016. In November 2020, Adjaye published his early portfolio in his book titled ''Adjaye'' ''Works 1995–2007: Houses, Pavilions, Installations, Buildings'' with Peter Allison and Thames & Hudson. In September 2022, Adjaye published his continued portfolio in his latest book titled ''Adjaye Works 2007 - 2015: Houses, Pavilions, Installations, Buildings'' with Peter Allison and Thames & Hudson.
Recent work
Most recently, in 2021, David Adjaye revealed his design for the District Hospitals project across Ghana, Accra and The Africa Institute in Sharjah, UAE.
Earlier this year, th
Cherry Groce Memorial Pavilion
was completed. Commissioned by the Cherry Groce Foundation, the memorial is in honour of Cherry Groce, who was shot in her home by the Metropolitan Police in front of her children on September 28, 1985.
His other recent works include interiors for the SEIU 1199 Healthcare Workers' East in New York City, The Webster
The Webster (also known as The Webster Miami) is a luxury multi-brand fashion house operating ten physical boutiques in the U.S. and an online store. The multi-brand boutique sells designer brands ( Balmain, Celine, Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Yves S ...
in Los Angeles, California (2020), Mole House in London, UK (2019), Ruby City in San Antonio, Texas (2019), McCarter Switching Station in Newark, New Jersey (2018), Sugar Hill Mixed-Use Development in Harlem, New York (2015), Alara Concept Store in Lagos, Nigeria (2015), Aïshti
Aïshti is a Lebanese luxury department chain store which sells fashion and clothing. In 2015, Aïshti opened the Aïshti Foundation in Beirut. The building was designed by architect David Adjaye "with a facade of red ceramic tiles, combining a h ...
Foundation in Beirut, Lebanon (2015).
In 2015, Adjaye was commissioned to design a new home for the Studio Museum in Harlem
The Studio Museum in Harlem is an American art museum devoted to the work of artists of African descent. The museum's galleries are currently closed in preparation for a building project that will replace the current building, located at 144 ...
.
In March 2018, Adjaye Associates' designs for the National Cathedral of Ghana were unveiled by Ghanaian president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ( ; born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who has served as the president of Ghana since 7 January 2017. In 2020, he was re-elected for his second term, which will end on 6 January 2025. Akufo-Addo previously ...
.
In September 2020, Adjaye unveiled his designs for the Princeton University Art Museum
The Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM) is the Princeton University gallery of art, located in Princeton, New Jersey. With a collecting history that began in 1755, the museum was formally established in 1882, and now houses over 113,000 works ...
. That same year, he also unveiled his designs for the Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki KStJ (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who was the second president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC ...
Presidential Library as well as The Martyrs Memorial in Niamey, Niger
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...
.
In November 2020, Adjaye revealed his vision for the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) which will be built in Benin City, Nigeria
Benin City is the capital and largest city of Edo State, Nigeria. It is the fourth-largest city in Nigeria according to the 2006 census, after Lagos, Kano, and Ibadan, with a population estimate of about 3,500,000 as of 2022. It is situated a ...
. Adjaye Associates' building will house historic art and artefacts as well as incorporate galleries dedicated to contemporary arts.
His design for the Abrahamic Family House on Saadiyat Island
Saadiyat Island ( ar, جزيرة السعديات; ', for "Island of Happiness") is a natural island and a tourism-cultural project for nature and Emirati heritage and culture that is located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The project i ...
in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dha ...
, UAE, is in the final stages of construction and is set to open in 2023. It is inspired by the ''Document on Human Fraternity
The ''Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together'', also known as the Abu Dhabi declaration or Abu Dhabi agreement, is a joint statement signed by Pope Francis of the Catholic Church and Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam ...
'' and has a mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
, church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chri ...
, and synagogue
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of wor ...
, celebrating the three major Abrahamic religions
The Abrahamic religions are a group of religions centered around worship of the God of Abraham. Abraham, a Hebrew patriarch, is extensively mentioned throughout Abrahamic religious scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran.
Jewish tradition ...
. It will also include a cultural center which promotes the values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
In September 2022
The W. E. B. Du Bois Museum Foundation
unveiled the plans and renderings for the new W. E. B. Du Bois Museum Complex in Accra, Ghana, designed by Adjaye.
In October 2022, Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1846 when a group of New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College.
Grinnell has the fifth highest endowment-to-stu ...
Board of Trustees approved construction of the new Civic Engagement Quad Core Project designed by Adjaye, slated to open in Fall 2024.
Firm operations
Adjaye established his practice in 2000 as Adjaye Associates. The firm now operates globally with offices in Accra, London, and New York and has completed projects in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
Academic appointments
Adjaye was the first Louis Kahn visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...
, and was the Kenzo Tange Professor in Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design
The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is the graduate school of design at Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It offers master's and doctoral programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urban ...
. In addition, he is a RIBA Chartered Member, an AIA Honorary Fellow, a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...
, and a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council
The Design Futures Council is an interdisciplinary network of design, product, and construction leaders exploring global trends, challenges, and opportunities to advance innovation and shape the future of the industry and environment. Members inclu ...
. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Barcelona Institute of Architecture and also serves as member of the Advisory Boards of the Barcelona Institute of Architecture and the LSE Cities Programme.
Personal life
In 2014, Adjaye married Ashley Shaw-Scott. Chris Ofili
Christopher Ofili, (born 10 October 1968) is a British Turner Prize-winning painter who is best known for his paintings incorporating elephant dung. He was one of the Young British Artists. Since 2005, Ofili has been living and working in T ...
was his best man.
Adjaye has also worked on numerous collaborative projects with his brother Peter Adjaye, a musician.
In 2018, along with Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2.
Born and raised in Dublin, he attended ...
and Theaster Gates
Theaster Gates (born August 28, 1973) is an American social practice installation artist and a professor in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Chicago. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, where he still lives and works.
Gates' ...
, Adjaye curated the third (RED) auction in Miami to support the Global Fund's work against AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...
, raising a total $10.5 million including matching funds by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was ...
.
Awards and honours
In 2006, Adjaye was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize
The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The S ...
for the Whitechapel Idea Store, built on the remains of a 1960s mall. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(OBE) in 2007 for services to British architecture. In 2016 he received the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of th ...
's McDermott award, a $100,000 prize for excellence in the arts. That same year, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
. Adjaye was knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the G ...
in the 2017 New Year Honours
The 2017 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours were awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...
for services to architecture. In 2018, Adjaye received the Washington University
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...
International Humanities Medal. In 2019, he was a member of the Prix Versailles World Judges Panel. In October 2020 Adjaye was announced as the RIBA Royal Gold Medal winner for 2021, awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture.
*RIBA Bronze Medal for Architecture Students - 1990
* Design Futures Council
The Design Futures Council is an interdisciplinary network of design, product, and construction leaders exploring global trends, challenges, and opportunities to advance innovation and shape the future of the industry and environment. Members inclu ...
Senior Fellow
* Design Miami/ Designer of the Year Award - 2011
* Powerlist: Britain's Most Influential Black Person - 2012
* Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT - 2016
* ''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' magazine's 100 Most Influential People
''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine '' Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, ...
- 2017
* Ghana Legacy Honors Impact in Architecture Award
* AJ100 Contribution to the Profession Award - 2018
* Thomas Jefferson Memorial Award - 2018
* Louis I. Khan Memorial Award - 2018
* Isamu Noguchi Award from the Noguchi Museum
The Noguchi Museum, chartered as The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, is a museum and sculpture garden in the Long Island City section of Queens, New York City, designed and created by the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. ...
. - 2020
* RIBA Royal Gold Medal - 2021
* Crystal Award - 2021
*Charlotte Perriand Award - 2022
*TIME100 Impact Award - 2022
*Order of Merit
The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by ...
- 2022.
References
Best Interior Design for Home
External links
*
Photo Gallery: David Adjaye
* Alexandra Lange
"Don't Call David Adjaye a Starchitect"
(interview), ''New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
'', 15 July 2007
Icon interview (2005)
BBC Radio 3 interview
Whitechapel exhibition (2006)
Whitechapel exhibition review
* Hugh Pearman
First published in ''The Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'', London, 24 July 2005 as "Chamber of secrets".
* Tom Dyckhoff
"Behind The Facade"
''The Guardian'', 8 February 2003.
David Adjaye
speaking at Design Indaba
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adjaye, David
1966 births
21st-century British architects
Alumni of London South Bank University
Alumni of the Royal College of Art
Living people
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom
People from Dar es Salaam
Tanzanian emigrants to the United Kingdom
Ghanaian architects
Academics of the Royal College of Art
Black British academics
Harvard Graduate School of Design faculty
Princeton University faculty
University of Pennsylvania faculty
British expatriate academics in the United States
Knights Bachelor
Royal Academicians
British people of Ghanaian descent
Black British people
Honorary Fellows of the American Institute of Architects
Members of the American Philosophical Society
Members of the Order of Merit