Sir David Adjaye OBE is a Ghanaian- British architect born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 1966. He is renowned for his community-driven designs imbued with his artistic spirit and sensibility. Based in London, he began his career in 1994, refurbishing bars and residential buildings. in 2000 he founded his own studio, Adjaye Associates.

Adjaye was knighted with the Order of the British Empire as “one of the leading architects of his generation and a global cultural ambassador of the United Kingdom”. Other architects awarded the prestigious OBE include the late Zaha Hadid, David Chipperfield, Michael Hopkins, Norman Foster and Peter Cook.

David Adjaye graduated from London’s South Bank University in 1990. In the same year, he won the RIBA Bronze Medal, an award usually reserved for postgraduate students. After some years working in various architecture studios, in 1994 Adjaye and William Russell established their own studio, named Adjaye & Russell, with offices in north London. The business closed in 2000, and Adjaye founded his own studio in the same year.

His works include the Museum of Contem- porary Art Denver, the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo, the National Museum of African American History and Culture – part of the Smithsonian in Washington DC – and the Ruby City art centre in San Antonio, Texas.

His brilliant use of materials, site-specific designs and visionary sensibility distinguish him as one of the leading architects of his generation. Adjaye Associates operates worldwide, with studios in Accra, London and New York. Projects range from private homes, bespoke furniture collections, product design, expos and temporary pavilions to major art centres, civic buildings and urban redevelopment.

One of his ongoing projects is the new Princeton University Art Museum in New Jersey. Located at the heart of the campus, Adjaye’s building will replace the existing building, doubling its capacity. According to the current schedule, construction will start next year, with a planned end date in late 2024.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) recently announced that Adjaye will be awarded the Royal Gold Medal 2021. One of the world’s highest honours for architecture, this prize is a recognition of a lifetime’s work, given to “a person or group of people who have had a significant influence, either directly or indirectly, on the advancement of architecture”.