Black History Month – celebrating the best of Black British and American architecture 

Some of the best architecture has its ancient roots in the African continent. From the Egyptian pyramids and Karnak Temple (imagine waiting for 3,000 years to see your project come to fruition), to the massive mud structure of the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali, these wonders of the world are only a few created by the myriad of cultures that have thrived in Africa since prehistory. And nothing has changed. 

For the UK’s Black History Month 2022 – 1st through 30th October – we’re celebrating the most outstanding designs created by Black architects from Britain and the United States. 

At the top of our list has to be one of the most stand-out buildings in the US. It had a grand opening that saw the likes of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama make a point of turning up, and no wonder – for the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. has been a new emblem of national pride since 2016. 

This grand and impressive building is the baby of David Adjaye, the British-Ghanaian architect and principal of London-based firm Adjaye Associates. Knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II, and generally considered as one of the most innovative architects in the world, Adjaye’s work often features historical motifs woven into decorative patterns. The design team also included the Freelon Group, Davis Brody Bond, SmithGroup JJR, Guy Nordenson and Associates, Robert Silman Associates, and WSP Flack + Kurtz. 

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the first Smithsonian museum in the US capital to focus solely on African-American history. From slavery, to civil rights, segregation, right up to the present day, it houses a supreme collection of artefacts. So, if you’re in the big D.C., don’t pass it by. 

Next up is the JOSAI I-House Togane Global Village by Studio SUMO, co-founded by African-American architect Yolande Daniels. This vast project is Daniels’ imagining come to life. 

This dormitory on the Josai International University campus in Togane, Japan, the building incorporates cultural contexts within the design, making it a unique reflection of the surrounding community. 

 For our final offering, we’re really going back in time here to the creation of the now iconic Theme Building at the Los Angeles International Airport – LAX to the likes of you and me.

Designed by Paul Revere Williams, and winner of the 2017 AIA Gold Medal, he became the first African-American architect to be awarded the Institute’s top honour. Sadly, the award was a posthumous accolade, but nothing can take away the lasting impression that the space-age LAX Theme Building has made on generations of travellers through the decades. It was originally constructed between 1957 and ‘61, the design being heavily influenced by  “Populuxe” architecture. Now a mixed-use commercial structure, this pop culture icon is yet another evergreen reminder of the influence of Black artistry in our modern psyche.

We’ve only been able to celebrate a small selection of the amazing contribution of Black architects to outstanding projects around the world. And we still say, hats off to the pyramids at Giza.