perspectivenews
18 ARCHITECTURAL RECORD AUGUST 2019
BY CATHLEEN MCGUIGANObituary: Philip Freelon, FAIA, 1953–
PhiliP Freelon, Faia, the much-admired
architect who achieved national prominence
in part as one of the leading African American
practitioners of his generation, died on July 9
at the age of 66. He had been diagnosed with
ALS in 2016.
Freelon founded his practice, the Freelon
Group, in Durham, North Carolina, in 1990,
and went on to design civic and cultural proj-
ects throughout the United States—libraries,
schools, museums, parks, and academic build-
ings, notably for a number of historically
African American colleges. His best-known
works include the National Museum of African
American History and Culture in Washington,
D.C., where he worked with David Adjaye
(Freelon’s firm was architect of record); the
National Center for Civil and Human Rights in
Atlanta; the Harvey B. Gantt Center in Char-
lotte, North Carolina; the Museum of the
African Diaspora in San Francisco; Emanci-
pation Park in Houston; and the Mississippi
Civil Rights Museum in Jackson.
In 2014, the Freelon Group joined with
Perkins and Will. Freelon continued to lead
his team on such projects as the North
Carolina Freedom Park in Raleigh; the
Durham Transportation Center; and the
Motown Museum expansion in Detroit.
In paying tribute to his colleague, Adjaye
told record, “I am deeply saddened by the
loss of Phil Freelon. He leaves behind an
indelible mark on the practice of architec-
ture, and his legacy transcends the brick and
mortar of the buildings he designed. Phil was
a pioneer, an advocate of diversity and inclu-
sion, and his impact will only strengthen
over time as we continue to see people of
color rising in the field of architecture. More
than anything, however, Phil was a dear
friend and mentor.”
Indeed, Freelon was a highly influential
leader in the profession, where barely 2 per-
cent of registered architects are African Amer^ -
ican, and he was immensely encouraging and
generous to younger minority practitioners. A
statuesque man with a gentle demeanor, he
was a powerful proponent for equity and
pluralism and brought a deep humanism to
the communities with which he worked, and
to his architecture. The two curving exterior
walls of the National Center for Civil and
Human Rights, for example, were inspired by
the arms linked together of those who partici-
pated in the historic marches for civil rights.
Born in Philadelphia—and the grandson of
Allan Randall Freelon, a Harlem-Renaissance-era painter—Freelon studied architecture at
North Carolina State University and earned an
M.Arch. from MIT. He was the youngest archi-
tect to pass the registration exam in North
Carolina, at age 25. In midcareer, he was a
Loeb Fellow at Harvard’s Graduate School of
Design; and, three years ago, he established,
with Perkins and Will, the Phil Freelon Fellow-
ship Fund to “expand academic opportunities
for African American and other underrepre-
sented students” at the GSD. The many awards
he received include the AIA North CarolinaGold Medal and the Thomas Jefferson Award
for Public Architecture, as well as honorary
degrees from NC State, Duke University, and
the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Throughout his career, he taught and lectured
at various institutions, and was a professor of
the practice at MIT. President Obama appoint-
ed him to the United States Commission of
Fine Arts.
Freelon was married to the jazz singer and
composer Nnenna Freelon, who survives him,
as do their three children. nPhil Freelon at the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, one of his best-known works (above). Designed with HOK,
the Center is characterized by an angled exterior facade composed of a mosaic of earth-toned phenolic-resin panels (top).PHOTOGRAPHY: © ALBERT VECERKA/ESTO (TOP); MARK HERBOTH (BOTTOM)