Adjaye Associates, led by British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, has designed a new National Cathedral for the architect’s home country, Ghana. The plans for the new cathedral were revealed by Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo during a ceremony that celebrated the country’s 61st independence anniversary.
Courtesy of Adjaye Associates
Adjaye Associates explained that the new National Cathedral would be a gathering place for all faiths to worship and celebrate “in a spiritual accord,” and it shall act as a “physical embodiment of unity, harmony, and spirituality.” The Cathedral will be located in a 14-acre landscaped plot, adjacent to Osu Cemetery in Accra, and it will comprise a number of chapels, a baptistery, a music school, a choir rehearsal, a grand central hall, as well as a two-level auditorium with 5000 seats. That is in addition to an art gallery, a shop, multi-use spaces, and Africa’s first Bible Museum and Documentation Center.
Courtesy of Adjaye Associates
The Cathedral will be linked to the capital city’s most prominent landmarks, such as the Independence Square, Osu Cemetary, State House, and Africa Unity Circle, via a new ceremonial route and landscape.
“The Cathedral will address the missing link in our nation’s architecture by providing a Church of national purpose,” explained the Ghanaian president. “It will be an inter-denominational house of worship and prayer, as well as 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
Similarly, Adjaye Associates explained that their design concept for the Cathedral “establishes a unique, 21st-century landmark where religion, democracy, and local tradition are seamlessly and symbolically intertwined.” They added that their design celebrates Ghanaian culture, by drawing inspiration from Ghanaian heritage as well as Christian symbolism.
Courtesy of Adjaye Associates
“The cathedral will serve simultaneously as a religious and a cultural institution, a new national landmark and a community hub for gathering and learning,” revealed the design firm which further commissioned renowned Ghanaian and African artists to contribute to the national project’s interior. The artists shall participate in the design of the Cathedral’s custom-made furnishings and adornment.
“It is an immense honor to be granted the opportunity to contribute something of this scale and important to my home country,” said Sir David Adjaye of the new project. “I have sought to craft a building that not only understands its landscape but one that will be unique to Accra and the Ghanaian Nation.”
