05/10/2020 Royal Gold Medal ; Join the RIBA(/join-riba) Login(/login?returnUrl=https://my-account.architecture.com/) Select your region (/search) (/) Royal Gold Medal SIR DAVID ADJAYE OBE TO RECEIVE 2021 ROYAL GOLD MEDAL Given in recognition of a lifetime's work, the Royal Gold Medal is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence "either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture". Celebrated architect Sir David Adjaye OBE has been named the 2021 recipient of the Royal Gold Medal. The Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Her Majesty The Queen and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence "either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture". https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal-gold-medal# 1/8 05/10/2020 Royal Gold Medal Sir David Adjaye OBE / Alex Fradkin Sir David Adjaye has achieved international attention for an exceptional body of work over 25 years. Drawing on his cited influences including "contemporary art, music and science to African art forms and the civic life of cities", his completed projects range from private houses, exhibitions and furniture design, through to major cultural buildings and city masterplans. From the start of his career he has combined practice with teaching in schools of architecture in the UK and the USA, including professorships at the universities of Harvard, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Princeton. https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal-gold-medal# 2/8 05/10/2020 Royal Gold Medal As a student, he won the 1990 RIBA Bronze Medal (http://www.presidentsmedals.com/). He was knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to architecture, following an OBE in 2007. His practice, Adjaye Associates (https://www.adjaye.com/), was founded in 2000 and today has studios in Accra, London and New York, with projects across the world. Smithsonian National Museum of African American Arts and Culture, Washington DC / Nic Lehoux Adjaye Associates are most well-known for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington, DC (2016), where they were lead designer of the Freelon Adjaye/Bond SmithGroup. Other completed projects include Ruby City, an art centre in San Antonio, Texas (2019); the Alara Concept Store in Lagos (2016); the Sugar Hill Mixed Use Development (housing, museum, community facilities and offices) in Harlem, New York (2015); the Aishti Foundation, a mixed use retail and arts centre in Beirut, Lebanon (2015); the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo in Russia (2010); the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, Norway (2005); Rivington Place arts centre in Hackney, London (2007); and the Idea Stores – two community libraries in London (2004, 2005). In 2006 the Idea Store Whitechapel was shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize (/awards-and- competitions-landing-page/awards/riba-stirling-prize). Sir David Adjaye has also won RIBA International Awards (/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/riba-international- https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal-gold-medal# 3/8 05/10/2020 Royal Gold Medal awards) for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver (2008) and the Francis Gregory Library and William. O Lockridge/Bellevue Library in Washington DC (both 2013). Current projects include a new home for The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York in collaboration with Cooper Robertson; 130 William, a high-rise residential tower in New York’s financial district; the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Dakar, Senegal; the Princeton University Art Museum in Princeton, New Jersey in collaboration with Cooper Robertson; the George Street Sydney Plaza in Sydney, Australia; The Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith complex in Abu Dhabi; Winter Park Library and Events Center in Winter Park, Florida; the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, London led by Adjaye Associates, with Ron Arad Architects as Memorial Architect, and Gustafson Porter + Bowman as Landscape Architect; the Royal Benin Museum in Benin City, Nigeria; the National Cathedral of Ghana in Accra; and the Thabo Mbeki Presidential Library in Johannesburg, South Africa. (/-/media/21B5EF53FC074B578C2605F533751AEB.jpg?la=en) Ruby City, San Antonio / Dror Baldinger FAIA On hearing the news that he will receive the Royal Gold Medal in 2021, Sir David Adjaye said: “It’s incredibly humbling and a great honour to have my peers recognise the work I have developed with my team and its contribution to the field over the past 25 years. Architecture, for me, has always been about the creation of beauty to edify all peoples around the world equally and to contribute to the evolution of the craft. The social impact of this discipline has been and will continue to be the guiding force in the experimentation that https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal-gold-medal# 4/8 05/10/2020 Royal Gold Medal informs my practice. A heartfelt and sincere moment of gratitude and thanks to all the people who supported the journey to get to this moment.” RIBA President Alan Jones said: “It was my absolute pleasure and honour to chair the committee and be involved in selecting Sir David Adjaye as the 2021 Royal Gold Medallist. At every scale, from private homes to major arts centres, one senses David Adjaye’s careful consideration of the creative and enriching power of architecture. His work is local and specific and at the same time global and inclusive. Blending history, art and science he creates highly crafted and engaging environments that balance contrasting themes and inspire us all. I believe his both practising and teaching in schools of architecture has significantly enriched his work. His artistic and social vision has created public projects that perfectly demonstrate the civic potential of architecture – fostering empathy, identity and pride. David’s contribution to architecture and design globally is already astounding, and I am excited that we have so much more of it to look forward to.” Moscow School of Management Skolkovo / Iwan Baan The 2021 Royal Gold Medal selection committee (/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge- landing-page/meet-the-riba-honours-committee-2021), chaired by RIBA President Alan Jones, comprised architects Professor Lesley Lokko, Dorte Mandrup and last year’s Royal Gold Medal recipient Shelley McNamara (/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal- gold-medal/royal-gold-medal-2020) and structural engineer Professor Hanif Kara. https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal-gold-medal# 5/8 05/10/2020 Royal Gold Medal ROYAL GOLD MEDAL WINNERS 2021 - SIR DAVID ADJAYE (/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal-gold-medal) 2020 - GRAFTON ARCHITECTS (/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal-gold-medal/royal-gold-medal-2020) 2019 - SIR NICHOLAS GRIMSHAW (/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal-gold-medal/royal-gold-medal-2019) 2018 - NEAVE BROWN (/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal-gold-medal/royal-gold-medal-2018) 2017 - PAULO MENDES DA ROCHA (/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal-gold-medal-2017) 2016 - DAME ZAHA HADID (/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/zaha-hadid-receives-royal-gold-medal) SEE THE FULL LIST OF ROYAL GOLD MEDAL WINNERS See the list of Royal Gold Medal recipients from 1980 to 2021. DOWNLOAD LIST (PDF) (/-/MEDIA/FILES/AWARDS/PAST- WINNERS/ROYAL-GOLD-MEDAL- WINNERS-1980-TO-PRESENT.PDF) https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/royal-gold-medal# 6/8 05/10/2020 Royal Gold Medal To top My local RIBA (/my-local- Contact or visit the RIBA About the RIBA (/about) Other RIBA services riba) (/contact-and-visit) (/products-and-services) About us (/about) Nations, regions, chapters Contact us (/contact-and-visit) Library and Collections Venue hire (/my-local-riba) Visit 66 Portland Place (/about/riba-library-and- (https://www.architecture.com/rib RIBA East (/my-local- (/contact-and-visit/visit-66- collections) venue-hire) riba/riba-east) portland-place) Support our work Venue hire RIBA North RIBA East Midlands (/my- The RIBA Library (/contact- (/about/support-us) (/contact-and-visit/riba- local-riba/riba-east-midlands) and-visit/riba-library) Press office (/about/press- north/venue-hire) RIBA London (/my-local- RIBA Architecture Study office) RIBA Contracts (/riba- riba/riba-london) Rooms (/contact-and- Campaigns and policy contracts) RIBA North East (/my-local- visit/dac-study-room) (/about/policy) RIBA Publishing (/riba- riba/riba-north-east) RIBA Bar (/contact-and- Equality, diversity, inclusion publishing) RIBA North West (/my-local- visit/visit-66-portland- (/about/equality-diversity-and-RIBA Business (/riba-business) riba/riba-north-west) place/the-bauhaus-bar-and- inclusion) RIBA Pension (/riba- RIBA South / South East (/my- cafe-at-66-portland-place) Join the RIBA (/join-riba) business/pension) local-riba/riba-south-south- RIBA Café (/contact-and- Work with us (/about/work- RIBA Insurance (/riba- east) visit/visit-66-portland- with-us) business/insurance) RIBA South West / Wessex place/cafe-at-66-portland- Modern Slavery Statement RIBA Journal (/my-local-riba/riba-south- place) (/about/modern-slavery- (https://www.ribaj.com/) west) RIBA Bookshop statement-2019) RIBA Books RIBA West Midlands (/my- (https://www.architecture.com/riba-Anti-Bribery and Corruption (https://www.architecture.com/rib local-riba/riba-west-midlands)