DAVID ADJAYE A vision for the National Cathedral of Ghana in Accra

An architect’s vision for the National Cathedral of Ghana in Accra

David Adjaye

Sir David Adjaye OBE’s recently concluded exhibition at London’s Design Museum, Making Memory, asked us to consider what constitutes a monument or memorial today. This provocation hoped to elicit a collective questioning of imperial ideas about structures that sanctify a single vision, individual or event, and instead view them as an opportunity to contemplate both personal and societal experiences. “The monument is an experience of time and place that is available to everyone. Whether it’s for a nation, a race, a community, or a person, it is really a device to talk about the many issues facing people across the planet,” Adjaye says.

Among the projects unveiled by the much-lauded British Ghanaian architect was the National Cathedral of Ghana in Accra, which has been commissioned by the Ghanaian government and is due to be completed by 2024. “This is a nation- building project that recognises culture that is spiritually based and that creates a national space for the celebration of life and death,” Adjaye says. “It was poignant that Kofi Anan’s funeral was held in a commercial hall, showing how deficit the situation was that the country didn’t have somewhere to dignify such a person.”

Adjaye’s design brings Christianity and local beliefs together by taking cues from several sources, among them Akan stools (a symbol of power that is imbued with the spirit of its user) and Adinkra stamps (used to print decorative symbols on textiles related to strength, authority and protection). He also looked at the ancient Christian architectural form of the tabernacle — a portable tent-like dwelling — that echoes the large ceremonial umbrellas used to shade Akan leaders, and Baoman canopies. These forms are seen in the cathedral’s majestically swooping external structure, within which a multi-functional auditorium will accommodate up to 15,000 people. The building also houses chapels, a baptistery, music school, art gallery, Bible museum and documentary centre, and sits within a 15-acre garden with multiple spaces for gathering. While simultaneously celebrating and creating culture in its form and intentions, the National Cathedral of Ghana promises to take on an active role in navigating the many voices that make up the country by welcoming all visitors to engage with the site — and each other — in new and open ways.