Back to the 2014 AD100 List

It’s hard to imagine a practice more varied and international than that of David Adjaye, a cutting-edge London-based talent best known for his socially minded objectives and buildings that explore issues of craft and place. Among his current projects are a silk-weaving workshop in Varanasi, India; a monument to extinct species on the British Isle of Portland; and the Smithsonian’s eagerly anticipated National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. “I am very interested in how you make architecture in different parts of the world,” says Adjaye, who was born in Tanzania. This past fall he debuted a collection of furniture (his first) for Knoll, and he continues to design houses across the globe, expanding a portfolio that includes homes for the likes of actor Ewan McGregor, artist Chris Ofili, and stylesetting couple Amalia Dayan and Adam Lindemann. “I will never not do residential work,” he asserts. “I have great clients who allow me to experiment—I learn so much.” adjayeom

Meet the other architects and designers on the 2014 AD100 list.