These new images by photographer Brad Feinknopf offer a tour through David Adjaye's Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened last fall in Washington DC.

The museum ? often referred to as NMAAHC ? was designed by British architect David Adjaye in collaboration with US firms The Freelon Group, Davis Brody Bond and SmithGroupJJR, while exhibitions were designed by Ralph Applebaum Associates.
Encompassing 313,000 square feet (29,000 square metres), the building was constructed on the last remaining parcel on the National Mall, which contains a number of significant museums and memorials.

The building features a three-tiered exterior inspired by the Yoruban caryatid, a traditional West African carved figure with a crown. An example is on view within the museum. Glazed facades are covered with latticework comprising 3,600 cast-aluminium panels. The screen?s patterning references the historical patterns created by African-American ironworkers in the South.

The brise-soleil's colour changes throughout the day, appearing copper-hued in sunlight and considerably darker in the evening.
At the base of the building, the architects left the glass exposed. The upper portion is also left unobstructed, enabling views of the city.

The main entrance is located beneath a canopy that gestures toward the nearby Washington Monument.
Inside, the building contains galleries, an education centre and an auditorium, along with a cafeteria, store and of...