David Adjaye on architecture in Africa

We’re off! Our interviewee for this first episode of the Design Emergency podcast is the Ghanaian-British architect, David Adjaye. As well as designing some of the most compelling buildings of recent years, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C., David is at the forefront of the development of Africa’s dynamic architecture scene. In this interview with Design Emergency’s co-founder, Alice Rawsthorn, he discusses the challenges and opportunities of designing responsibly in the vast, complex, and intensely eclectic African continent.

David – Sir David, as he is now – was born in Tanzania to Ghanian parents. The family lived in several countries during his childhood as his father was a diplomat, eventually settling in London where David studied architecture and founded his practice. Beginning by designing friends’ houses, he moved on to cultural spaces including the NMAAHC and the soon to be completed Studio Museum in Harlem. Since 2000, he has conducted a personal research project into Africa’s rich, but often ignored architectural heritage. David and his family are now based in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, where he leads a studio of over a hundred, mostly young, West African architects working on landmark commissions including the National Cathedral of Ghana and the Edo Museum of West African Art in Benin City. Tune in to hear him discussing those projects, and architecture’s role in forging positive change in Africa.

You’ll find images of the projects David describes in this interview on our Instagram @design.emergency. You can also follow his research into African architecture on his Instagram @adjaye_visual_sketchbook, and find out more about his work at Adjaye Associates on its Instagram @adjayeassociates and its website www.adjaye.com. Thank you for listening.

Design Emergency is supported by a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts

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