Architect David Adjaye speaking at the World Economic Forum. He said the Abrahamic Family House project is 'very exciting'. Courtesy World Economic Forum
Architect David Adjaye speaking at the World Economic Forum. He said the Abrahamic Family House project is 'very exciting'. Courtesy World Economic Forum
Architect David Adjaye speaking at the World Economic Forum. He said the Abrahamic Family House project is 'very exciting'. Courtesy World Economic Forum
Architect David Adjaye speaking at the World Economic Forum. He said the Abrahamic Family House project is 'very exciting'. Courtesy World Economic Forum

Architect David Adjaye: designing Abu Dhabi's Abrahamic Family House is a 'profound moment'


Alice Haine
  • English
  • Arabic

Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye said Abu Dhabi's decision to commission him to design the Abrahamic Family House multi-faith centre was "a profound moment".

Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Mr Adjaye said the project, which will feature a mosque, church and synagogue, is “very exciting” because it is uses architecture and narrative storytelling to “talk about the commonality of three faiths rather than difference”.

“This is a really special project that hits on the trinity of this Abrahamic faith that is influencing over half the world's population,” he told delegates at an online session of the Forum on Wednesday.

"This new initiative by the head imam, the Pope and the head rabbi of the region ... for the [leadership] of Abu Dhabi to commission this incredible project to make a statement about commonality is a very profound moment.”

  • An artist's illustration of the Abrahamic Family House set to be built on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
    An artist's illustration of the Abrahamic Family House set to be built on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
  • The interior of the mosque. Abrahamic Family House will bring together Islam, Christianity and Judaism through three main buildings – a mosque, a church and a synagogue. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
    The interior of the mosque. Abrahamic Family House will bring together Islam, Christianity and Judaism through three main buildings – a mosque, a church and a synagogue. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
  • The synagogue. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
    The synagogue. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
  • The interior of the synagogue. While the three places of worship are of the same height, the designs and interiors will differ significantly. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
    The interior of the synagogue. While the three places of worship are of the same height, the designs and interiors will differ significantly. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
  • The interior of the church. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
    The interior of the church. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
  • The exterior of the church. “When I looked at the history of the architecture that has represented these three different faiths, I realised architecture has also been complicit in a description of the differences of these faiths,” Mr Adjaye said. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
    The exterior of the church. “When I looked at the history of the architecture that has represented these three different faiths, I realised architecture has also been complicit in a description of the differences of these faiths,” Mr Adjaye said. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
  • The courtyard of the church. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
    The courtyard of the church. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
  • Each separate building will connect through a central garden that will house a museum and centre for education. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
    Each separate building will connect through a central garden that will house a museum and centre for education. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
  • The visitor Centre of Abrahamic Family House. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
    The visitor Centre of Abrahamic Family House. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
  • A view of the podium. Courtesy Adjaye Associates
    A view of the podium. Courtesy Adjaye Associates

The Abrahamic Family House, set for completion on Saadiyat Island in 2022, is named after the revered prophet Abraham and will bring together Islam, Christianity and Judaism through three main buildings – a mosque, a church and a synagogue.

Each separate building will connect through a central garden that will house a museum and centre for education. While the three places of worship are of the same height, the designs and interiors will differ significantly.

“When I looked at the history of the architecture that has represented these three different faiths, I realised architecture has also been complicit in a description of the differences of these faiths,” Mr Adjaye said.

Earlier this month, Mr Adjaye was awarded the 27th Annual Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum for being an important storyteller "of our time".

The award, his first humanitarian accolade, honours exceptional artists for their contributions to society.

“I won the competition, because I really sought not to dissolve the qualities of each of the religions, but to find an architectural device that would start to unify them,” Mr Adjaye said, referring to the Abrahamic Family House.

“I also used architecture and narrative storytelling as a way to unify the different ways in which the faiths can look at their relationship to divinity and to the world. It’s very exciting.”

Mr Adjaye, who set up his architectural practice in 2000 and now has offices in the UK, Ghana and the US, told the Forum that architecture can also bring cities together.

"Cities when they're not careful start to create inequality," he said. "You can't make cities with extreme hierarchies. We need to democratise the value that we bring in design to every part of the city. Because essentially, if we give that equality to the city, all citizens perform and the city shines."

As a result, he said he does not only take on projects based in wealthy urban areas.

"I choose work very specifically to make sure that we're not over-flagging agendas which talk about exclusivity but ones that also that talk about inclusivity," he said. "It doesn't mean we don't do work that's not about luxury but we've always measured that within the context of the city and how it's evolved."

Tanzanian-born Mr Adjaye, the son of a diplomat, moved to Britain at a young age. Growing up, his interest in design stemmed from seeing his brother Emmanuel, who is partially paralysed, navigate the urban environment. As such, all his designs ensure accessibility for all.

While his work often takes him to Africa, one of his major global projects is the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, which was influenced by design elements from West Africa.

How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars

Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.

Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.

After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.

Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.

It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.

 

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Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Game is on BeIN Sports

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UAE v Scotland – no result

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Fixtures

Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland

Admission is free

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Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham

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Final: June 1, Madrid

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Thanksgiving meals to try

World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.

Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as  well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.

The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.

Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.

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- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018

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He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.

HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon. 

With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.

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