David Adjaye


There has been a tendency to shy away from who you are, and I don’t want to deny who I am. If a Japanese architect talks about Shintoism, everyone goes, “Wow.” If an African architect talks about an African village, it is somehow weird in the Western context. I find that hilarious. What’s the difference?
London-based, Ghanaian architect David Adjaye was born in Tanzania and educated at the Royal College of Art. His 2005 Whitechapel Idea Store-- he designed several "Idea Stores," which are not at all unlike Japan's one-stop culture shop community centers-- in London won the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) First Prize Bronze Medal (photo just below). Adjaye also creates stunning private spaces-- including James Casebere and Lorna Simpson's four-story Fort Greene studio (bottom photo), which you may remember as the subject of a 2006 Times article.



Adjaye is all of 42 years old.

3 comments:

February 19, 2009 at 12:47 PM Shani said...

The contrast of texture in that one area of the building in the top photo is really interesting. Would love to see some more photos of his work.

February 22, 2009 at 9:02 PM Anonymous said...

He is one of my favorites!!!!!

April 1, 2009 at 11:00 PM Anonymous said...

Love these architecture photos!