David Adjaye on the National Museum of African American History and Culture (and other projects)

2016-06-21T17:49:00-04:00

“It’s about architecture, but also about memory and history,” Adjaye says when we meet at the site on a cloudy afternoon in mid-May. “I got exactly what I wanted on the exterior, which was a dark, brooding, bronzelike building.” Before going inside, he points out what he calls the “oculus,” a circular raised platform at the west entrance through whose glass windows you can see the room below. “We found out that this spot was once a slave market, right on the Mall,” he says.

“The oculus is like a slave pedestal, levitated off the ground. I’ve tried to make every decision here have some history.”

For more on the British-Ghanaian architect, check out past Archinect coverage:

David Adjaye is releasing a vinyl record with his brother
"Quintessential America" at play in the Museum of African American History and Culture
David Adjaye is the best bet for the Obama Presidential Library – but not because of the color of his skin
The WSJ's review of "Making Place: The Architecture of David Adjaye"

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David Adjaye on the National Museum of African American History and Culture (and other projects)