David Adjaye named as designer of 2019 Brits awards statue

Star architect Sir David Adjaye has been announced as the designer of next year’s Brit Awards statue.

Adjaye – the architect who is slated to design President Barak Obama’s presidential library, designed the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C., was named one of the 100 most influential people of 2017 by Time magazine, said he was “delighted and honored” to have been picked.

He has partnered with Czech glassmaking and design company LASVIT, who are renowned for their cutting-edge design and custom-made installations, to produce a unique statue for all 12 winners at the awards in February.

According to Adjaye, “the Brits are an iconic, eponymous celebration of British creativity and a true testimony to the wealth of talent working and supporting, making and producing and creating music both in this country and globally – it is an absolute pleasure to be given the opportunity to participate in honouring fellow creatives in this way.”

His current projects include the new Holocaust Memorial and Learning center in London, the Ghana National Cathedral in Accra and his first skyscraper, 130 William, in New York City.

Sir David Adjaye, 52, follows in the footsteps of Sir Anish Kapoor and the late Dame Zaha Hadid, who designed the 2018 and 2017 statues respectively, completing a trilogy of world-renowned British creatives orchestrated by Brits chairman and chairman and CEO of Sony Music UK and Ireland Jason Iley.

Iley said: “Sir David Adjaye has been responsible for some of the most striking and innovative architectural designs in the world.

“This creative and artistic vision is executed perfectly with the new Brit award bringing yet another level of excellence and quality to the statue design.”

The Brit Awards 2019 with Mastercard will take place at London’s O2 Arena on February 20 2019.