The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has awarded Sir David Adjaye with the 2021 Royal Gold Medal. Approved personally by Queen Elizabeth II, the prize is the highest honor for UK-based architects, and is bestowed upon a person or group whose influence has directly or indirectly impacted the advancement of architecture.
Adjaye maintains a sprawling portfolio that comprises nearly 25 years of dynamic work. He received the RIBA Bronze Medal as a student in 1993 and went on to found his eponymous practice, Adjaye Associates, in 2000. The practice now comprises offices in London, New York, and Accra, Ghana. Since launching the firm, Adjaye has won numerous accolades and prizes for standout projects, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. Furthermore, the architect was knighted in 2017, a decade after receiving an OBE in 2007.
“It’s incredibly humbling and a great honor to have my peers recognize the work I have developed with my team and its contribution to the field over the past 25 years,” Adjaye says. “Architecture, for me, has always been about the creation of beauty to edify all peoples around the world equally and to contribute to the evolution of the craft. The social impact of this discipline has been and will continue to be the guiding force in the experimentation that informs my practice.”
RIBA president Alan Jones adds, “At every scale, from private homes to major arts centers, one senses David Adjaye’s careful consideration of the creative and enriching power of architecture. His work is local and specific and, at the same time, global and inclusive. Blending history, art, and science, he creates highly crafted and engaging environments that balance contrasting themes and inspire us all. David’s contribution to architecture and design globally is already astounding, and I am excited that we have so much more of it to look forward to.”
