Make That SIR David Adjaye

David Adjaye OBE, or Sir David Adjaye, is one of 1,197 people being honored at the beginning of this new year. Other architectural figures include Ricky Burdett, Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies, London School of Economics "for services to urban planning and design"; and Roy Matthew Dantzic, Deputy Chair, Architectural Heritage Fund, "for services to architectural heritage."

According to a statement from the British government, "this year's honors are the most diverse ever," with "603 successful women candidates in the list, representing just over 50% of the total," and, pertaining to Adjaye, "9.3% of the successful candidates [coming] from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, the greatest ever number of BAME recipients in an honors list."

The statement on Adjaye's knighthood recognizes his Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, the Idea Stores in London, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in Washington, DC, last year as "his most recent major achievement."

A statement from Adjaye Associates says in full: "I am truly honored and humbled to receive a knighthood by Her Majesty the Queen for my contribution to architecture. I see this not as a personal celebration, but as a celebration of the vast potential – and responsibility – for architecture to effect positive social change, that we as architects have to bring something positive to the world. I am proud to continue to work in service of this mission as a global cultural ambassador for the UK."