National Museum of African American History designed by David Adjaye
DEZEE – British architect David Adjaye is to become Sir David Adjaye after receiving a knighthood for services to architecture in the New Year’s Honours 2017.
Adjaye, 50, will receive the Knight Bachelor award as part of the Queen’s biannual honours programme, which recognises the “achievements and service of extraordinary people across the United Kingdom”.
The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood described Adjaye as “one of the leading architects of his generation and a global cultural ambassador for the UK”.
The architect – famed for projects including the Dirty House and Stephen Lawrence Centre – has just completed one of the most important projects of his career, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC.
His firm, Adjaye Associates, is currently working on a major new art museum in the Latvian capital Riga and a children’s cancer treatment centre in Rwanda.
Adjaye said he is “honoured and humbled” to be chosen for the award, having already been named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2007.
“I see this not as a personal celebration, but as a celebration of the vast potential – and responsibility – for architecture to effect positive social change, that we as architects have to bring something positive to the world,” he said.
“I am proud to continue to work in service of this mission as a global cultural ambassador for the UK.”
Similarly, Anna Wintour is to become a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to fashion and journalism, in recognition of her 28 years as editor-in-chief of American Vogue. She has also served as artistic director at Condé Nast since 2013.
For his pioneering research into urban planning, London School of Economics professor Richard Burdett is awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), as is fashion and accessories designer Anya Hindmarch.
Celebrity Victoria Beckham will receive an OBE for her work as a fashion designer.
Other architecture and design figures on the honours list include Central Saint Martins fashion programme director Angela Walters, AECOM director Peter Wilson, and Terry Jones, founder of i-D magazine.
The awards will be presented at a ceremony in 2017.
