The prominent architect Sir David Adjaye has been accused of sexual misconduct by three former employees. The claims were reported first by the Financial Times, in which the three women accuse Adjaye and his firm, Adjaye Associates, of “different forms of exploitation — from alleged sexual assault and sexual harassment by him to a toxic work culture — that have gone unchecked for years.”
In response, the architect has denied the claims of sexual misconduct, abuse, or criminal wrongdoing, while stating that he was “ashamed” to have entered into relationships that “though entirely consensual, blurred the boundaries between my professional and personal lives.”
The three women, whose names are changed by the Financial Times to protect their identities, told the paper they came forward in order to “prevent other women from encountering similar abuse and to make public the architect’s private behavior.” To corroborate their accounts, the Financial Times interviewed colleagues, family members, and friends who were confided in by the women, as well as reviewing contemporaneous emails, documents, and text messages.
One of the alleged incidents occurred in 2018 when two of the women, Maya and Gene, met with Adjaye at his corporate apartment to voice concerns over late salaries and immigration assistance in the firm. The women claim that Adjaye propositioned both of them before sexually assaulting Maya. While Adjaye’s lawyer confirms the three met for dinner, and that Maya and Gene came to his apartment for a drink, he denies the allegations of sexual advances and assault. Maya also claims to have been sexually assaulted by Adjaye in an airport bathroom in mid-2019, which the architect denies.
Maya was dismissed from the firm in January 2020 without notice. In May of that year, she sent a personal email to Adjaye describing the “inconceivable sexual violation” she had suffered and calling him a predator. In September 2021, she made a criminal complaint against Adjaye to the police in South Africa.
In response, Adjaye’s lawyer claims the allegation was “framed well after the event in order to extract a payment” from Adjaye, and stems from Maya’s grievance at being dismissed after what he alleges was her poor performance at work.
The third woman, Dunia, claims that Adjaye sexually assaulted her in January 2019 at the Royal Academy of Arts, and that in the months since, endured a series of controlling and emotionally abusive sexual encounters with him. Dunia sent a legal letter to Adjaye in February 2022 accusing him of sexual misconduct, while Adjaye’s solicitor claims their WhatsApp history indicated a consensual relationship.
Responding to the allegations in their totality, a lawyer for Adjaye told the Financial Times that the three women each had “their own grievances” against the architect, while Adjaye himself said “I absolutely reject any claims of sexual misconduct, abuse or criminal wrongdoing. These allegations are untrue, distressing for me and my family, and run counter to everything I stand for.”
“I am ashamed to say that I entered into relationships which though entirely consensual, blurred the boundaries between my professional and personal lives,” Adjaye continued. “I am deeply sorry. To restore trust and accountability, I will be immediately seeking professional help in order to learn from these mistakes to ensure that they never happen again.”
Following up, with more details reported by the NYT, Adjaye has since made the decision to step back from a number of his roles.
Adjaye resigned from his position as an architectural advisor to the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. His work on the British Holocaust Memorial has also been put on hold. This decision came in the wake of the accusations of sexual misconduct and harassment, including the charges detailed in this article about the toxic work culture in his firm.
Adjaye's statement indicates that he has stepped down from these positions to prevent the allegations from becoming a distraction. This includes his roles in ceremonial duties and trusteeships, and his position on the panel of design advocates appointed by the mayor in 2022 to guide decisions on new building and public space projects to benefit all Londoners.
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Tries to apologize and thinks everything goes away, CUL8R CREEP.
Ah, the contemporary practice of architecture, Where shadows lurk and truths begin to fracture. A toxic work culture poisons the field, Where creativity suffers, no longer revealed.
Impotent, the profession's voice grows weak, As society's problems reach their peak. Architecture's potential for change untapped, In a world where progress seems cruelly trapped.
Prominent male architects, their dark deeds, A shameful truth that festers and breeds. Sexual assault, a stain upon the trade, A patriarchal structure, where power is played.
Women marginalized, their talents overlooked, In a profession where bias is deeply hooked. Low pay, a dagger to creativity's heart, As aspirations are torn apart.
The fealty towards developers and politicians, Who care not for cities, but only their ambitions. Money-driven agendas, devoid of care, Leaving cities soulless, stripped and bare.
Oh, contemporary architecture, fraught with strife, A reflection of a flawed and troubled life. But let us not despair, for change can come, If we confront these issues, one by one.
A call for inclusivity, equality, and respect, To shatter the systems that we must reject. Raise voices against injustice and greed, So architecture can serve the people's need.
This says nice things, but would have been better if never written
ChatGPT, AI the future. No man or woman left behind and also does not discriminate!!!!
@meteoricc - agreed, though it would have been even better if Adjaye kept his hands to himself!
Following up, with more details reported by the NYT, Adjaye has since made the decision to step back from a number of his roles.
Adjaye resigned from his position as an architectural advisor to the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. His work on the British Holocaust Memorial has also been put on hold. This decision came in the wake of the accusations of sexual misconduct and harassment, including the charges detailed in this article about the toxic work culture in his firm.
Adjaye's statement indicates that he has stepped down from these positions to prevent the allegations from becoming a distraction. This includes his roles in ceremonial duties and trusteeships, and his position on the panel of design advocates appointed by the mayor in 2022 to guide decisions on new building and public space projects to benefit all Londoners.
Sounds like his office in Ghana is run shoddily too - poor cashflow management, late paychecks ... and the sexual harassment.
I thought this is a professional site. In what context of this noble profession does this public embarrassment fit in?!
Please be ethical and feed us with architects and architecture developments as you are best and commendable at, and not some allegations that is meant to be handled by investigative journalism and by those whose sexual assault is their jurisdiction.
Must be your first day on the internets.
Hi, David.
This qualifies as news. It's reported everywhere, from Architect's Journal to the Financial Times and NY Times. Would be strange if he suddenly was being booted out from all those projects and positions without the context of three women accusing him of sexual harassment/assault/misconduct (each journal weirdly uses a different word to describe the behaviour). Without that context people would be saying he was a victim. Instead we now know he is seeking counselling, though it is hard to say what for exactly (and wow how out of touch his advisors must be to think that is going to cut it as a response). Feel sorry for the people who work in his office cuz the good work they were doing is now under suspicion and they will have to deal with his bullshit as if it were theirs.
I gotta add to Will's excellent point that Adjaye is one of those rarefied architects who have, by virtue of his talent and race, transcended his profession to become a celebrity. His fame gives him more power, soft and hard, that he might have unfortunately used to prey on employees. These misdeeds, if true, tarnish not just the profession but also harm aspiring young black architects who look to him as a trailblazing giant.
It is crucial to address issues of misconduct within the profession, as they can have significant implications for the individuals involved and the broader industry. It is also important to foster a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved in architecture.
another elemental-aravena type of self aggrandized kid, no surprise here
Seriously? Apparently, nazreality has never had to concern himself (I'm guessing gender, here) with sexual predators. Sexual misconduct is a real danger to women in architecture (and some men) and can ruin more than their professional lives. It's absolutely newsworthy that a starchitect has been accused.
To this point, I would say that publications like our very own Archinect should scrub their site of any mention of Adjaye or his projects. This should be done for dickwads like Richard Meier as well. Fuck em.
@richard - while i'll agree with some of the general principle (that anyone can be accused of anything), adjaye's own actions here - denying any criminal actions while admitting there were inappropriate relationships, admitting he is seeking professional counseling, stepping back from a number of volunteer (and high profile) positions outside his firm.... his actions are speaking as to the severity of the allegations and an admittance that what he did was at the very least morally (if not criminally) wrong.
how are we not to form judgements based on his actions?
if clients choose to no longer associate with his firm, that's their call.
just to be clear though - you're referring solely to the (potentially) criminal or civil legal aspect. otherwise, he has said he had relationships with the women. that's not in dispute. he - adjaye - has said they were inappropriate. that's not in dispute. he voluntarily stepped off and away from a number of appointed positions as a result of this going public. that's not in dispute.
The brief reports are maddening. If you are going to engage this discussion, read the Financial Times article, linked in the post. It is long and it is specific. Criminal charges were filed, several years ago. One was dropped and in another FT could not get a report on its status, other than it was filed. Did we ever hear about these then?
You also get specific allegations and descriptions of behavior from the victims, and I am going to assume they are accurate as such. They should be taken very seriously. I'm not at all clear where things go from here by way of legal procedure. I'd hate to see this settled in the court of public opinion.
I also see a host of other issues raised in the FT piece that might apply to architecture in general and to the culture, and I hope someone pursues them in depth.
Culpable politicians and executives get booted out and are forgotten—sometimes, or maybe not. Buildings, however, are highly visible and last for years—and may become tainted. Someone is going to have to orient us towards them, what they stand for, how we should receive them.
Balkins for all your bloviating, your simple mind cannot even fathom why cases like these are dropped, or not pursued in criminal courts? How fucking dim are you? Or more to the point what were you accused of that has you in such a defensive posture, for someone you haven't the foggiest clue of who he is, or ever met?
dude, please stop. your unhinged rants are completely delusional.
Dude gave his accusers' names to the Ghanaian government. Pretty sure innocent people don't pull clear intimidation tactics out of their hat...
https://www.ft.com/content/db6...
You do understand that your views on jurisprudence are severely limited and mostly apply to US legal system, right? So why not do your research and tell us what they are in Ghana and Great Britain.
Then, tell us what they are in Kitsap. Then talk about civil penalties in all three.
Justin Davidson weighs in briefly and generally at Curbed (he regularly appears in The NY Times/Magazine):
https://www.curbed.com/2023/07/david-adjaye-harassment-starchitect.html
Among other things, he talks about the perils of the starchitect phenomenon:
A global business that runs on whim, long hours, free or low-paid labor, and star power is a petri dish for abuse.
He also plans to review 130 William Street soon, which I want to read. Maybe it can be flagged here?
And I'm not at all clear what will happen next. One issue is jurisdiction—can this be tried, in civil or criminal court, anywhere other than Ghana? At any rate, any court case will be lengthy. We may have to depend on responsible journalists in the meantime.
So now we know the truth! Adjaye is a self-aggrandizing womanizer, much like many of his famous white starchitect peers such as Richard Meier. But Richard Meier's firm is still celebrated in New York and he did not have to walk away from his amazing on-going projects.
So now we know, the rules are very different for Black Architects!
Adjaye is being cancelled as we speak. His work on amazing American projects is being removed from his direction. Adjaye's firm is being cancelled! Why? Oh well old chap, he's black! No Affirmative action here, he's British African, and he's a talent of our millennium! Not good enough! He said, she said, so he's cancelled. Richard Meier's reputation as an architect survived. Guess what he is white and also Jewish in New York! How could he lose his reputation as a Starchitect? He cannot!
There are different rules for Black people! Nothing ever changes does it?
Yes, the women are correct. If he did what they say he did, then he should owe them consideration, meaning lots of money and an apology. But why the unequal treatment of another lecherous Starchitect who happens to be Black? I guess nothing much changes in America does it? "So happy to dismiss that "uppity black face"! His design contributions to the Western world, oh they don't matter, he's Black! What did you expect us to do?"!!!!
Yes I am as always, "flabbergasted" by this sort of brazen ethnic duplicity of America's nasty "cancel culture"!
1. Meier retired two years ago, his firm changed the name, no one holds him in esteem, he's not teaching.
2. Adjaye is a Ghanaian Brit, with a title of nobility.
3. They both can get fucked, I don't care.
4. Whataboutism isn't relevant.
5. What's his Jewishness have to do with anything?
People always be like "OMG, the racism inherent in the system is despicable, it's just a plot by a corrupt cabal of jews to dominate us all!!!!"
A corrupt cabal of Jews? Absolute nonsense! The Jews in New York are the cultural bulwarks of the City. Over time, they have on occasion positively facilitated the integration of local Black NY architects into the mainstream! Jewish New York is also amazingly wealthy, powerful and influential. They would never allow one of their own sons, a famous Architect like Richard Meier to lose his work's legacy! Yes he retired, but his work will never be cancelled over time. The legacy and cultural appreciation of Mr. Adjaye's smart projects, unfortunately, are being cancelled as we speak! Unequal treatment for the same dastardly horrible sexual crime!
Flab - I dare you to post this using your real name.
Unless his penis is Jewish I don’t see how the Jews are to blame.
Adjaye became an icon as a result of his racial origin in the years of woke culture, when the magazines were seeking to promote diversity in the profession. The allegations however demonstrate that he is no different to the sexist, antifeminist 'old boys' elite architecture club. To add to this, it's fair to mention that his architecture was never that engaging. He will now be cancelled as quickly as he rose to fame.
Exactly. So if Adjaye is just another human being who is very talented, much more so than Richard Meier in my opinion, why are the rules and expectation so completely different for Black Architects? If he were as talented and American or from the nearby Americas (South America and the Islands) his career would absolutely have been blocked, woke or no woke. Why can't America treat people , i.e. human beings of any color "equally"? Yes I agree with you, Adjaye appears to be guilty of those women's accusations but all Richard Meier and Partners had to do was remove "Richard" from the name and they are still v
1. Richard Meier assaulted women, canceled. No longer with firm. Voluntarily left.
2. David Adjaye assaulted women, canceled. Voluntarily left firm.
Seems equity has been met.
There is no equity. The Adjaye staff is at risk of losing their lifelong design work. Adjaye's projects are being given to other architects. Design Credit, the most valuable resource of all in Architecture will be passed onto others. Richard Meier's firm is intact. His staff still is in on all his credits. This never happens in America to Black Artists and Designers. There is a whole industry that steals credit for Black and African artistic, musical and design trends and ideas. There is no equity ever for Black people unless it is carefully programmed or moderated by powerful supportive interests. Where are they now in this case? Do you see any equity? None at all. Only theft of black art and design ideas!
Unfortunately, it is the employees of people like Adjaye and Meier that drew the short end of the stick.
Thankfully or not, memories are not too long in this biz. Albert Speer and Partners are doing quite well even though Speer was Hitler's architect.
Chartres , tell me you're a racist without telling me you're a racist
No racism here, just speaking truths. Don't accuse people of racism just because it's convenient to you.
perhaps check your racist buzzwords at the door if you don't want to be called a racist, racist.
Doctor, I'm honestly shocked having looked up Albert Speer & Partners, that no one thought "Let's change the name of our firm so it doesn't include a reference to a literal Nazi architect."
Richard Meier removed the name Richard and his staff continued with the same firm that Richard built, legacy and all, quite intact, architecturally.
Adjaye's firm in London and in America will absolutely be closed, and the staff will all lose their employment. Adjaye's design legacy, much more interesting than "White Architect" Richard Meier's will be "lost" over time, for the same crime committed by their firm's founders. Yes it will be white-washed. Watch and see. Why the unequal treatment of a talented Black guy's firm? America and Britain are not color-blind! I guarantee most people of color will agree with me.
I still don't see your point. What should, in your estimation, happen here?
Here is what I think would resolve all of this at Adjaye Associates.
First of all, Mr. Adjaye should step down as Principal and allow new firm leaders to take over the firm from within the existing employee ranks.
Adjaye built his business (apparently in a "form-less" ad-hoc manner) by employing hundreds of loyal employees in 3 or more countries who are possibly the real talent and brains behind the scenes? There is obviously a wealth of Design talent in that organization that should not go to waste as future "technical help" in the white architectural world spending all day on bathroom details and code compliant exit doors, typical treatment of Minority Architects in America and in Britain, regardless of their ability to Design brilliant innovative projects!
Instead of cancelling and disbanding his talented firm made up of a wealth of design expertise (of color) behind the scenes, perhaps the right thing to do is to publicly identify and recognize who the "brains" are on Mr. Adjaye's staff in England and in America and populate the entire firm with new "contemporary-minded" progressive leadership by and for this group of Minority architects, with David Adjaye as a design mentor-at-a-distance or on-site, but behind the scenes, perhaps, but without final authority on most matters of project design and staffing.
The understanding will be that that this new employee owned and run firm will inherit all of the old Adjaye firm's current projects outside of Africa, including copyright display rights, and will always be free to seek, extend and refine the modernist Afri-Centric design Principles that David Adjaye has become so famous for to new future projects and also that the new entity shall be allowed to complete all or most of their existing project work as well while openly seeking enhanced brand marketing for new high-quality paying projects that will do justice to Mr. Adjaye's former design leadership. This transformation of leadership will be tasked with creating a more contemporary multi-ethnic minority gender and sexual orientation-inclusive work environment that is mainly black (ethnically African and mixed-diaspora African), but is also inclusive of many other ethnic people as well, working supportively, harassment-free for everyone on staff and with related Client organizations.
None of what you surmised has occurred.
"He has removed himself from a project to design the UK’s Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre and given up a trusteeship of the Serpentine Galleries and a role as an adviser to London mayor Sadiq Khan. The Studio Museum in Harlem, Manhattan, is cutting ties with Adjaye personally, according to the New York Times. His firm is designing its new building.
He remains as designer of Ghana’s National Cathedral project. The multimillion-dollar development is the project of President Nana Akufo-Addo, who wants to build a legacy-defining landmark akin to Westminster Abbey and Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque. The allegations against Adjaye come as the project has been mired in controversy over spiralling costs."
FT
NYT
the employees who are truly capable of starting a new firm - and recruiting both the talent and existing clients - probably will do so.
I dare the user known as Flabbergasted to post up under his / her real name.
I dare real professionals to re-read that Financial Times article. It's pretty detailed. Then give us sensible opinions here without being mean to other posters. The meanness takes away from from engaging debate.
I don't think there is much to debate. Based on the article Sir David Adjaye sexually assaulted and harassed several employees. We'll have to wait and see what the outcome is in a court of law.
What is a "sensible opinion"?
I, for one, have no qualms being "mean" to people who perpetuate racism and downplay SA allegations. If they can't take people "being mean" to them, maybe they should re-evaluate their social views.
Statement by a former employee—a Nigerian:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CuZapj1uUeD/
Mentioned in the Architect's Newspaper:
https://www.archpaper.com/2023/07/architecture-community-responds-adjaye-sexual-assault-allegations/#google_vignette
fascinating and troubling... The big green head should post the former employee link to Ricky-B's manifesto thread.
Words from an ex-employee, but it's the only inside view of the firm we've got, I think. I don't know how it compares with the other firms in terms of toxic environment—hours, etc.
@Gary I think it paints a pretty typical and eminently believable picture. I wasn't aware of any sexual assault at the starchitect firm I worked at, I feel pretty confident there wasn't any, but who am I to know? There was however plenty of overwork - talking 80-100 hour weeks, gaslighting, pay cuts while the founder completed a multi-million dollar home for themselves during covid, millions of PPE loans forgiven (while we were all on pay cuts), verbal abuse ("I thought you were smart when I hired you, but this (thing I just did) makes you look like a fucking retard.") and throwing things/ breaking things. Seems par for the course in that environment.
I really want to know who you used to work for that acted like this archanonymous.
problem with these situations is that for the accusers, the courts often fall short as the evidence is difficult to provide. For the accused , they are sometimes falsely persecuted by the court of public opinion. In this particular case, it seems that there is some circumstantial evidence and some admission of guilt by Adjaye himself. Guilty completely or somewhere in between, Such a prominent figure should be more cautious of getting entangled in these situations even if they feel it’s consensual. The other party could perceive it differently. Overall, I’m pretty disappointed. I was rooting for Adjaye for years. I’ve always liked their work.
And always had a bit of a soft spot for him being he’s from Tanzania. That place is a pretty special place for me and I know that the people there probably had lots of pride in him.
I got curious: what has happened with Meier's firm since he stepped down (or aside)?
Meier Partners approach is intensely collaborative. Led by a core team of highly accomplished designers with many decades of collective experience, the firm’s New York Studio employs a multinational staff of vibrant professionals who have provided comprehensive design services in 20 countries, working in 16 languages, and who are ready to engage with clients anywhere in the world.
The studio thrives by embracing diversity, and believes that each project reaches its full potential by incorporating a wide range of perspectives. Meier Partners encourages designers to participate across all phases of each project, ensuring that each team member plays a holistic role and has a comprehensive understanding of the entire project. This comprehensive approach is crucial for the mentorship and education of the young architects on staff, and helps Meier Partners train well-rounded designers who are poised to make multi-faceted contributions to a wide array of projects.
https://meierpartners.com/team
This, at any rate, is how they promote themselves now.
They haven't forgotten their founder:
https://meierpartners.com/legacy
I didn't see a strict chronology and can't tell how much recent work they've done, other than some sizable buildings in South Korea.
Yes, I wish the Adjaye staff all the success architecturally speaking in saving their firm. You were monikers of what''s possible in the "black and multicultural" Design world! Hopefully your boss will let your inherit your own "great design work as the firm is passed onto the staff members over time! A wonderful prosoect, but also a terrible shame as well.
"It was the best of times and the worst of times as well"! Ying and Yang!
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