‘Afro comb’ tower designed to celebrate black talent

A BRITISH-GHANAIAN architect has designed a 1,663ft tower in Manhattan intended to pay tribute to black achievement.

Sir David Adjaye, 55, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, has submitted plans for the Affirmation Tower to the Empire State Development Corporation, one of several proposals it is considering for a site near Hudson Yards. The corporation has said it will consider “diversity practices” when selecting a project.

Sir David’s radical “upside down” design will be predominantly built and funded by black-owned companies, headed by Peebles Corp, run by Don Peebles, one of the most influential African-american property developers in the US. Promoters of the scheme said at least 30 per cent of the construction work would be carried out by female and minority-owned companies.

At 90 storeys, the building would be among the tallest in the Western hemisphere.

The $3.5billion (£2.7billion) tower resembles six boxes stacked on top of each other, increasing in size from the bottom up. The white terrazzo façade is designed to resemble the combs used to style afro hair.

It features a plaza garden intended to pay homage to prominent black New Yorkers, and the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People would be among the first tenants.

The Peebles Corporation, which has long advocated what it calls “affirmative development”, said the ground floor of the tower would include “incubator space” for minority and female-run shops and businesses.

Sir David, the son of a Ghanaian diplomat, was born in Tanzania. He has lived in London since the age of nine. A graduate of South Bank University in London, he has emerged as one of Britain’s most foremost architects and was knighted in 2017.