DAVID ADJAYE

DAVID ADJAYE IS AN AWARD WINNING GHANAIAN-BRITISH ARCHITECT WHO’S MAIN FOCUS HAS BEEN MAKING AN IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES THROUGH HIS WORK.

HE IS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE LEADING ARCHITECTS OF HIS GENERATION AND SOME HONORARY TITLES INCLUDE BEING KNIGHTED BY QUEEN ELIZABETH II IN 2017 AND ALSO APPEARING IN TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 MOST INFLENTIAL PEOPLE OF THE YEAR.

THE TURNING POINT IN ADJAYE’S LIFE WAS WHEN HE WITNESSED THE STRUGGLES HIS PARALYZED BROTHER HAD TO SUFFER WHEN ATTENDING SCHOOL DUE TO THE INCONSISTENCIES IN ACCESSIBILITIES THE FACILITY DEMONSTRATED. IT WAS THIS THAT DROVE ADJAYE TO PURSUE HIS CAREER.

GRADUATING FROM LONDON SOUTH BANK UNIVERSITY, ADJAYE RECEIVED HIS BACHELOR’S IN ARCHITECTURE. HE THEN WENT ON TO PURSUE HIS MASTERS FROM ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART.

ADJAYE WENT ON TO OPEN A FIRM OF HIS OWN IN THE YEAR 2000, ADJAYE ASSOCIATES. NOW, HIS FIRM IS GLOBALLY KNOWN AND RESPECTED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, AND HAS AQUIRED A REPUTATION OF HELPING THE COMMUNITY AND USING THEIR WORK FOR BETTER.

Architecture

THE IDEA STORE IS A CONCEPT THAT MAKES INFOMRATION AND TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY. THE SITE FOR THIS IDEASTORE WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE WHITECHAPEL IS A STREET WITH A LOT OF TRAFFIC, MAKING IT A CENTRAL HUB FOR THE COMMUNITY. WITHIN THIS STREET THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER ACTIVITIES TO DO SUCH AS RESTAURANTS, BREWERIES, STORES AND EVEN A HOSPITAL. THIS MEANT THAT THE IDEASTORE HAD TO STAND OUT AMONG OTHER BUILDINGS, WHICH LED TO THE DECISION OF MAKING THE WHITECHAPEL IDEASTORE LARGE IN SCALE WITH AN INTERESTING, COLORFUL FACADE. OPENED IN 2005, THE IDEASTORE IS STILL A VITAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY TODAY.