The future of London is taking shape in the studio of Asif Khan. The architect is hard at work on an imaginative new Museum of London building that will combine the city’s history with its contemporary creativity. At 39, he’s one of the youngest architects to design such a major cultural institution in recent memory. It’s a “dream project” for Khan, who has spent the last 10 years building his reputation with temporary architecture like walk-through pavilions and tech-heavy installations. Along the way, the born-and-bred South Londoner and father of two has picked up awards as varied as a Cannes Lions from the advertising industry and an MBE from the British royal family. A recent structure at the Winter Olympics was coated in the world’s blackest black, to dizzying effect. Other projects interrupt the urban environment with forest-like oases, offering calm. “I want to connect people better with their own nature, ” he says. This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-One Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 19 Going Incognito We all secretly wonder what mischief we’d make if invisible: When our identity is hidden, everything seems possible. Arts & Culture Issue 19 The Best Policy Sometimes we talk to each other without feeling heard. Honesty—a most intimate interaction—can be just as thrilling as its more devious inverse. Arts & Culture Issue 19 A Sense of Suspense With unhinged imaginations and mountains of cliff-hangers, the filmmakers behind the sci-fi podcast Limetown have all the makings of a scary story. Arts & Culture Issue 19 Like Clockwork In this new column about time, we learn how slipping off our watches makes us feel like deadline-damning renegades. Fashion Issue 19 Nick Wakeman Creating a menswear-inspired line for women, Nick Wakeman welcomes the challenges arising from forging new aesthetic territories. Design Issue 19 A Day in the Life: Frida Escobedo With her own firm and scores of global projects in her inventive portfolio, this architect is transforming Mexico City, one artful building at a time.
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