David Adjaye

Sir David Frank Adjaye designed the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. — the most significant cultural building constructed in America in the twenty-first century. The museum's bronze-clad corona, inspired by the three-tiered crowns of Yoruba art, rises at the foot of the Washington Monument, placing the story of Black America at the literal center of the nation's story. Over 40 million people have visited since its opening in 2016.

Born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on September 22, 1966, to Ghanaian parents, Adjaye grew up in multiple countries as his father served as a diplomat. He studied architecture at London South Bank University and the Royal College of Art and established his firm, Adjaye Associates, in 2000. His early work — libraries, community centers, and houses — demonstrated an ability to create buildings that were both strikingly modern and deeply rooted in cultural context.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened on September 24, 2016, is Adjaye's masterpiece. He won an international design competition to create the building, and his design — referencing both West African architecture and the three-tiered crowns used in Yoruba culture — received universal acclaim. He has also designed the National Cathedral of Ghana, the Moscow School of Management, and numerous cultural institutions worldwide. He was knighted in 2017 for his services to architecture.