Archinect - News

Assessing an unequal Accra in the wake of David Adjaye's recent controversies

2024-08-05T17:53:00-04:00

The firm’s website still tags the National Cathedral, the Du Bois Museum Complex and others as ‘current’ projects, in contrast to on-the-ground reality. In the midst of a lack of transparency, and accountability, what remains clear is the mistake we make when we expect global celebrities who have cut their teeth in the transactional corridors of the corporate world to switch to an opposite ethic in the name of local solidarity or values.

Adjaye had faced criticism from numerous political figures in Ghana over alleged favoritism and high-profile public commissions even before being swept up by the sexual misconduct allegations that shocked the architecture world last summer. Now, writer Anakwa Dwamena reports that his visions for an increasingly unequal Accra have gone largely unrealized, leaving behind 17-acre “eyesores” in place of the controversial Ghana National Cathedral project and looming threats to two important heritage sites imposed by his Marine Drive redevelopment vision — both of which have yet to be built.

David Adjaye answers critics in National Cathedral of Ghana financing dispute

2023-01-24T14:24:00-05:00

David Adjaye has issued a statement in response to the ongoing scrutiny of the design fees and commissioning of the National Cathedral of Ghana project in his home country.

Speaking to the Ghanaian outlet Joy News after the new year, the architect dismissed claims of preferential treatment and financial impropriety on the project, stating that nothing was “hidden or opaque” within the process that has become the subject of legal action taken by political opponents to President Nana Akufo-Addo.

The dispute centers on $21.37 million USD worth of fees paid to Adjaye Associates in two installments by the government that were allegedly not approved by the parliament, according to a minority politician who is campaigning for their repayment dependent on the outcome of the country’s 2024 national elections.

Previously on Archinect: Adjaye may be asked to repay National Cathedral fees as Ghanaian political campaign turns ugly

It has been established, however, that approvals did go through G...

Adjaye may be asked to repay National Cathedral fees as Ghanaian political campaign turns ugly

2022-06-24T18:55:00-04:00

A homegrown dispute in Sir David Adjaye’s native Ghana is boiling over after news that the architect could be asked to repay some $21.3 million in fees associated with the firm’s National Cathedral design, which politicians from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party claim is part of a sole-sourced tender process that has favored the architect for a number of years.

The online news site GhanaWeb has reported several stories recently in relation to the efforts of MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of the NDC, who is insisting that the 10.5% design fee asked by Adjaye Associates at the project’s inception in 2018 was never formally approved by the governing body. The politician also claims the Cathedral will not be completed by its originally planned 2024 date – the same year the country is set to hold a presidential election upon which, he says, the project's status most likely relies on.

David Adjaye and his take on identity and narrative in architecture

2018-12-06T09:24:00-05:00

At this year's World Architecture Festival, David Adjaye spoke towards the festival's theme:identity. Recognized as a prominent force in the architecture community, Adjaye's own design style and focus has played towards architecture's social responsibility. During the 45-minute lecture in Amsterdam, Adjaye discussed his own design process explaining how a narrative can be derived from form and materials. "I'm always interested in forgotten stories - to lift something between comfortable and uncomfortable." Projects like the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and the National Cathedral of Ghana were brought up as examples.

However, the high point of the talk was when Adjaye provided his views regarding where the industry is headed. Commenting on how costly architecture is becoming, especially in the West, Adjyae pointed out "projects now cost billions and its kind of crazy." Although some ...

Adjaye Associates unveils design for new Ghana National Cathedral in Accra

2018-03-07T15:37:00-05:00

On the 61st anniversary of Ghana's national independence from Great Britian, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo celebrated by revealing plans for the new National Cathedral of Ghana. “The Cathedral will address the missing link in our nation’s architecture by providing a Church of national purpose" the President proudly proclaimed.

He went on to describe an inter-denominational house of worship and prayer that will "serve as the venue for formal state occasions of a religious nature, such as presidential inaugurations, state funerals and national thanksgiving services."

Courtesy of Adjaye Associates.

Designed by Sir David Adjaye, who was born in Tanzania to Ghanian parents, the national worship center will be a celebration of religion, culture, and local traditions. Situated within 14 acres of landscaped gardens near the Osu Cemetary in Accra, it will house a series of chapels, a baptistery, a 5,000-capacity auditorium, a grand central hall, a music school, a choir rehearsal and ...