David Adjaye on Ghana Pavilion, Ruby City, and Making Memory

Sir David Adjaye discusses his career and recent projects in an interview. Adjaye Associates, founded in 2000, has offices in London, New York, and Accra. The firm gained prominence with the 2017 Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., making Adjaye the first black starchitect. His work is closely tied to the art world, including collaborations with Chris Ofili, Olafur Eliasson, and curator Okwui Enwezor. Adjaye designed the Ghana Pavilion for the 2019 Venice Biennale, titled "Ghana Freedom," curated by Nana Oforiatta Ayim with Enwezor as strategic advisor. The pavilion features elliptical forms inspired by West African diaspora settlements, with surfaces in local earth plaster. Adjaye also discusses Ruby City in San Antonio, a museum for the Linda Pace Foundation, made with red-tinted concrete panels crafted by Mexican artisans. The building incorporates glass fragments for light reflection. At the Design Museum in London, his exhibition "Making Memory" explores monuments as dynamic spaces, featuring seven projects from the 2008 Sclera Pavilion to the planned National Cathedral of Accra. Adjaye emphasizes learning from history to create future narratives. He mentors Mariam Kamara through the Rolex Mentor & Protégé Arts Initiative, building a public space in Niamey. Adjaye cites Eduardo Souto de Moura as his own mentor, praising his generosity and focus on materials.