(CNN) — David Adjaye is one of the world’s most highly acclaimed and sought after architects.
Born in Tanzania to Ghanaian parents, Africa has played an important role in his life and continues to provide inspiration for his projects around the globe — although he now lives and bases his practice in London.
“Tanzania is an incredible melting pot of cultures with Sikhs, Indians, Muslims,” Adjaye says.
“Living in East Africa and sort of mixing with all these groups allowed me to sample many different spatial and cultural conditions very early on,” he adds.
Some of Adjaye’s most notable structures include the Nobel Peace Center in Norway, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C.
But while his African roots remain a fond memory, he says that there is now much more that inspires him — not least his love of architecture around the world.
In the gallery above Adjaye selects six of his favorite buildings, explaining why they hold a special appeal to him and what makes them so architecturally unique.
The-CNN-Wire/Atlanta/+1-404-827-WIRE(9473)
TM & © 2011 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
