international african american museum opens its doors in charleston, south carolina

introducing the International African American Museum (IAAM)

After more than two decades in the making, the highly anticipated International African American Museum (IAAM) opened its doors on June 24, 2023 in Charleston, South Carolina. Nestled at the waterfront site that served as the port of arrival for nearly half of all enslaved Africans brought to North America during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the museum stands as a powerful testament to their stories and commemorates the remarkable contributions made by their descendants.

Designed by the collaborative efforts of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and Moody Nolan, with landscape design by Hood Design Studio and exhibition design by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, IAAM showcases a fusion of architecture and historical reverence. The resulting space not only pays homage to the site’s rich history but also provides a dynamic backdrop for a wide range of exhibitions, events, and educational resources.

the building settles at the waterfront site that served as the port of arrival for nearly half of all enslaved Africans brought to North America | all images courtesy of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, unless stated otherwise (head image courtesy of International African American Museum)

Honoring History and Embracing the Site

The architectural design of the International African American Museum (find more here) embodies the vision articulated by its lead designer, the late Henry N. Cobb, who placed paramount importance on the museum’s location. ‘As the place where thousands of Africans from diverse cultures first set foot in North America,’ Cobb wrote at the project’s inception, ‘Gadsden’s Wharf is not just the right place to tell this story; it is hallowed ground. The special design challenge of the museum is to build on this site without occupying it.’

In pursuit of this objective and in alignment with IAAM’s mission, the completed structure embraces the seascape it faces, the landscape that frames it, and the reverential memorial it houses. In collaboration with executive architect Moody Nolan(find more here), Pei Cobb Freed & Partners (find more here) designed the 426‐foot‐long, 84‐foot‐wide, single‐story volume to hover thirteen feet above the ground, supported by eighteen cylindrical pillars arranged in two rows.

the single‐story volume to hover thirteen feet above the ground | image courtesy of International African American Museum

An Architectural Homage: Contextual Design and Symbolic Spaces

The architectural response to the historically significant site is intricately tied to its context. The long side walls of the structure are adorned with pale yellow brick, while the glazed end walls feature African sapele louvers, strategically framing views of the Atlantic to the east and downtown Charleston to the west. The supporting columns are covered in traditional oyster-shell tabby, which is also utilized for portions of the landscape’s paving.

The design preserves a significant portion of the ground plane beneath the building, symbolizing the collective memory of the site. With the exception of two service cores that enclose a central skylit stairway, the open space below remains unobstructed. Towards the east side of this open area, facing the harbor and the ocean beyond, a shallow reflecting pool symbolizes the edge of Gadsden’s Wharf during the height of the nineteenth-century slave trade. On the west side, oriented towards Concord Street and Gadsdenborough Park, granite paving creates a sheltered gathering space for group activities and performances.

‘The International African American Museum is more than a mark of architecture, it’s an extraordinary milestone,’ says Curt Moody, founder of Moody Nolan. ‘Having worked for the last fifteen years to dream this into being, we are intimately aware of the cultural significance it has for American history. Without this building, this sacred site would have remained unknown and the stories of our ancestors untold. It’s an honor and a privilege to work on a project that has this kind of tenacity, and we recognize that the opportunity to leave an impression on people around the world, for generations to come, is a rare gift.’

eighteen cylindrical pillars arranged in two rows support the structure

The African Ancestors Memorial Garden

The African Ancestors Memorial Garden, designed by Hood Design Studio, encompasses the entirety of the site, serving as a symbol of remembrance and contemplation. Nestled within the overarching landscape, a collection of sub-gardens celebrate the artistic prowess, skillful craftsmanship, and enduring labor that African Americans have contributed throughout history. At the heart of the garden lies a captivating water feature, reminiscent of the treacherous Atlantic Passage experienced by enslaved Africans. Inspired by the eighteenth-century Brooks map, which depicts the cramped conditions endured by enslaved individuals in the lower decks of slave ships, this dynamic water feature gently ebbs and flows, periodically revealing submerged figures and mirroring the sky above. Alongside the water feature, a glistening stainless steel band traces the historical line of Gadsden’s Wharf. Serving as both a reflective border and a ledger of memory, this band is engraved with the names of ports that marked the beginning and end of countless journeys during the transatlantic slave trade.

For creative director Walter Hood, ‘The Ancestors Garden—the site where many enslaved Africans first touched North America—is a series of spaces and exhibits that establish this site as an authentic place of arrival, a place for becoming. The ground beneath the museum is the artifact of the site. As a rich tapestry of water, tabby, grasses, wood, and stone, the hallowed ground and landscape spaces offer contemplation, celebration, and fraught memories.’

at the heart of the garden lies a captivating water feature

The design team envisioned the entry sequence of the International African American Museum (IAAM) as a blend of destination and transitional space, seamlessly connecting the surrounding landscape with the exhibition areas. Visitors are drawn into the museum through a luminous atrium at the building’s center, transitioning from shadows into a radiant space as they ascend the grand staircase. On the upper level, expansive windows at both ends offer unobstructed views of the port to the east and the cityscape to the west.

Working closely with the design team, Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), the exhibit designer, strategically planned the narrative flow of the museum’s installations in harmony with the architecture. The east side of the museum is thematically organized, featuring an introductory corridor and an orientation theater that lead visitors to immersive multimedia displays exploring South Carolina and Gullah Geechee culture, African roots, and the vast expanse of the Atlantic world. On the west side, visitors encounter an interactive gallery called American Journeys, which presents a chronological journey through history, accompanied by media content that delves into the legacies of slavery and the ongoing movements for racial equality and social justice. At the western end of the building, the Center for Family History serves as a significant resource for the study and advancement of African American genealogy. This dedicated space allows genealogists and the public to engage with the museum’s exceptional collection of primary sources, documents, and texts.

‘Museums have become community resources, talking about big issues, not just places that safeguard things of the past,’ notes Aki Carpenter, RAA vice president and chief creative officer. ‘IAAM is a space to address important issues we are talking about in our country, in the place where these things happened.’