Adjaye Associates was established in June 2000 by founder and principal architect, David Adjaye OBE. Receiving ever-increasing worldwide attention, the practice's largest commission is the design of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

Design Philosophy

Adjaye Associates believes that architecture presents opportunities for transformation - materially, conceptually and sociologically. Driven by the desire to enrich and improve daily life, the practice's buildings are designed to meet the diverse needs of the communities they serve. Inspiration is drawn from many influences around the world and the work clearly articulates this enthusiasm for issues of place and identity.

The buildings belong to yet diverge from their contexts, absorbing and animating difference rather than homogenising it. They are bold statements of a complex contemporary world and an unsettled territory of cultural experimentation. Private residences are places of urban retreat, while the civic buildings dissolve the idea of the institution. The emphasis on light, a distinctive material and colour palette, the play between positive and negative and the ability to turn constraints into compelling narratives, are critical themes.

Renowned for an eclectic material and colour palette and a capacity to unfold cinematically, the buildings differ in form and style, yet are unified by their ability to challenge typologies and to generate a dynamic cultural discourse.