September has been busy for architect David Adjaye.
By the close of the month, he will have opened the landmark National Museum of African American History and Culture, won a prestigious design award and turned 50.
A few days before the official opening of the long-awaited museum in Washington, Adjaye was awarded the Panerai London Design Medal, the largest of four prizes awarded at a gala event during the London Design Festival.
The Tanzanian-born, British-Ghanaian architect was described by judges as “an inspiration for the younger generation.”
Some of his most prolific projects include the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (2007), the Stephen Lawrence Centre in London (2007), and the Aïshti Foundation’s cultural center and luxury shopping mall in Beirut (2016).
His latest opening in Washington joins a suite of Smithsonian institutions along the National Mall, sitting in the shadows of the Washington Monument and the White House.
While Adjaye’s firm was awarded the commission for the building in 2009, the concept of a national museum exploring African American history dates back almost a century, but was delayed by various design issues and bureaucratic setbacks along the way.
“The First Lady and the President have taken an interest in the project since day one,” Adjaye said at the museum ahead of the public opening. “We were scared that it wouldn’t open during (Obama’s) presidency because a typical Smithsonian project takes about 10 to 12 years to build … We’ve done it in eight, which is apparently the new record.”
Watch the video above for a first look inside the historic National Museum of African American History and Culture.