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 publishing the catalogue of the same name. This followed their 2005 publication of Adjaye's first book, David Adjaye Houses.[14]
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 cafรฉ.[16]
Adjaye won a competition to design the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo which was completed in 2010.[17] Rejecting the traditional campus-style, the building is designed as one form to encourage student interaction.[16]
In 2015, the Aishti Foundation, a mixed art gallery and retail space, opened in Beirut, Lebanon.[19] The gallery space is over 40,000 square feet. Adjaye's design marries art viewing with shopping, two seemingly conflicting experiences.[20]
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.[29] Ruby City, located in San Antonio, Texas, opened in 2019.[30]
In 2018, 1199SEIU President George Gresham[31] reached out to Adjaye, who later accepted the commission[32][33] 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 Cerรกmica Suro in Guadalajara, Mexico.[32]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.[34]
In 2023, Adjaye's first permanent public sculpture, titled Asaase III was unveiled. The artwork is located at The Griot Museum of Black History in St. Louis, Missouri, and was commissioned by curator Allison Glenn for the 2023 Counterpublic triennial.[41]
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 and caused a nationwide media debate. Adjaye collaborated with artist Olafur Eliasson to create a light installation, Your black horizon, at the 2005 Venice Biennale. He has also worked on the art project Sankalpa with director Shekhar Kapur.[43] In May 2019, the Ghana Freedom Pavilion - designed by Adjaye - was inaugurated at the 58th Venice Art Biennale.[44] He also designed the 56th Venice Art Biennale with the late curator Okwui Enwezor; the River Reading Room for the Gwangju Biennale;[45] and the Sclera Pavilion for the London Design Festival.[46]
Adjaye co-authored two seasons of the 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 7[47] and the Gwangju Biennale. Making Place: The Architecture of David Adjaye was on display at the Art Institute of Chicago from September 2015 to January 2016.[48] In November 2020, Adjaye published his early portfolio in his book titled AdjayeWorks 1995โ2007: Houses, Pavilions, Installations, Buildings[49] 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[50] with Peter Allison and Thames & Hudson.
In November 2020, Adjaye revealed his vision for the Museum of West African Art which will be built in Benin City, Nigeria. Adjaye Associates' building will house historic art and artefacts as well as incorporate galleries dedicated to contemporary arts.[citation needed]
In 2021, Adjaye revealed his design for the District Hospitals project across Ghana, Accra and The Africa Institute in Sharjah, UAE.[citation needed]
In April 2021, the Cherry Groce Memorial Pavilion was completed in Brixton.[57] 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 28 September 1985, sparking the 1985 Brixton riot.[58]
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.[59]
In October 2022, Grinnell College Board of Trustees approved construction of the new Civic Engagement Quad Core Project designed by Adjaye, slated to open in fall 2024.[60]
His other recent works include interiors for the SEIU 1199 Healthcare Workers' East in New York City,[61]The Webster in Los Angeles, California (2020),[62] Mole House in London, UK (2019),[63][64] Ruby City in San Antonio, Texas (2019),[65][66] McCarter Switching Station in Newark, New Jersey (2018),[67] Sugar Hill Mixed-Use Development in Harlem, New York (2015),[68] Alara Concept Store in Lagos, Nigeria (2015),[69]Aรฏshti Foundation in Beirut, Lebanon (2015).[70]
In July 2023, developer Hondo withdrew its planning application for an Adjaye Associates-designed 22-storey tower in Brixton, south London, days before a Greater London Authority hearing. The 98m-tall block received over 1,000 objections from locals and was criticised for its prominence in a mostly low-rise area.[74]
In 2024 the Bank of Ghana inaugurated Bank Square in Accra, designed by Adjaye Associates. Ghanaian polititian Gabby Otchere Darko called the building "one of the most impressive financial houses in the whole of Africa".[75]
Firm operations
Adjaye established his practice in 2000 as Adjaye Associates.[76] 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.[77]
In March 2024, the practice announced the appointment of three new CEOs to lead Adjaye Associates' three global studios โ described as a 'fundamental change'.[78] The three CEOs, Lucy Tilley, Pascale Sablan and Kofi Bio, lead each of the Adjaye Associates' three global studios in London, New York, and Accra. Adjaye was named the executive chair of the group and remains as principal architect of the firm leading design direction.[79][80]
Academic appointments
Adjaye was the first Louis Kahn visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and was the Kenzo Tange Professor in Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design. In addition, he is a RIBA Chartered Member, an AIA Honorary Fellow, a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council.[81] 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.[82]
Sexual assault allegations
In 2023, Adjaye faced allegations of sexual assault and harassment by three women who had worked in his practice;[83] he denied the allegations and no charges were brought against him. He did apologise for what he called "mistakes" where he had "blurred the boundaries" between his professional and personal lives.[84][85] He subsequently resigned from his role as architectural adviser to the Mayor of London, removed himself from involvement in the Holocaust memorial in Britain although Adjaye Associates continue as lead architect,[86][87] the Africa Institute in Sharjah cancelled a major new campus project,[88] and his practice was dropped from a ยฃ57 million project at Liverpool's International Slavery Museum.[89]
Following the allegations and clients withdrawing projects from Adjaye's practice, the business was reported to have begun a redundancy programme. Former employees also complained of a 'toxic' workplace culture at the practice.[90] Adjaye's commissioned an independent workplace review[91] from a leading employment KC following the complaints and have publicly said that they have made significant changes including restructuring the firm's governance[92] with the stated intention of becoming an exceptional workplace.
Personal life
David Adjaye is a younger brother of stem cell scientist James Adjaye.[93]