Abrahamic Family House is 'once-in-a-generation type of project' - Sir David Adjaye

An insightful talk was given by the Internationally acclaimed architect, Sir David Adjaye, on The Abrahamic Family House project at the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi which concluded on Tuesday evening.

Adjaye, the designer behind the project in Abu Dhabi which brings three places of worship that represent the three faiths of the Abrahamic patriarchy together, talked in further detail about the project, which he described as a “once-in-a-generation" type of project.

The Abrahamic Family House will be an inspiration for mutual understanding, harmonious coexistence, and peace among people of faith and goodwill. It consists of a mosque, church, synagogue, and educational center to be built on Saadiyat Island, the cultural heart of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Through its design, it captures the values shared between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and serves as a powerful platform for inspiring and nurturing understanding and acceptance between people of goodwill. The vision for the Abrahamic Family House originated after the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb in February 2019. This landmark will be a place for learning, dialogue, and worship – open to all and a true reflection of the UAE’s belief in tolerance and hospitality. Within each of the houses of worship, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about religious services, listen to holy scripture, and experience sacred rituals.

“Religions want to express their identity, so they create an architecture that has to do with themselves and that becomes propagated through history... and it becomes a style. This is a moment where the reverse was being asked. So now how do you talk about all the things that are the common traits? And how do you bring them into a new form?”

Adjaye highlighted the importance of gardens and light in architecture and how an architect can create space that unites the past and looks toward the future. “This is about respecting three extraordinary religions and their histories and their cultures and their evolutions,” he added.

In a different session on the critical subject of culture and climate change at Culture Summit, Sumayya Vally, architect and co-founder of Johannesburg-based practice Counterspace said: “We need to have artists and cultural thinkers at the highest level of all institutions. We need to really involve people who think differently and who think creatively, well how to shift the paradigm rather than only relegating them to the realm of responding. We need to be at the forefront of change.”

Culture Summit Abu Dhabi was organised by the DCT Abu Dhabi in collaboration with global partner organisations bringing expertise in diverse fields, from culture and arts to media and technology. Partners include UNESCO, Economist Impact, Google, the Design Museum, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation and the Recording Academy. Other participating partners include Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Film Commission, Sandstorm Comics, Cultural Foundation, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Berklee Abu Dhabi, Culture Resource, Arab Fund for Arts & Culture, and the Institut Français.