After more than two decades, the International African American Museum (IAAM)—designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners with executive architect Moody Nolan—will open to the public on June 27 at Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, South Carolina. Nearly half of all enslaved Africans who were brought to North America in the 18th and 19th centuries arrived at this former port, and the IAAM was conceived to tell the stories of these people and their descendants.
As the project’s lead designer, the late Henry N. Cobb, wrote in his Words & Works 1948-2018: Scenes from a Life in Architecture: “As the place at which many thousands of Africans from diverse cultures first set foot in North America, Gadsden’s Wharf is not just the right place to tell this story; it is hallowed ground. Hence the special design challenge of the International African American Museum: to build on this site without occupying it.” The IAAM became the last project Cobb actively worked on before his death in 2020.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.