Adjaye Associates has unveiled its designs for the new National Cathedral of Ghana. Conceived as a physical embodiment of unity, harmony and spirituality, the Cathedral will be the nation's ceremonial landmark where all faiths will be welcomed to gather, worship, and celebrate in spiritual accord.
The National Cathedral of Ghana will be situated within 14 acres of newly landscaped gardens adjacent to Osu Cemetary and will house a series of impressive chapels, a baptistery, a 5000-seat two-level auditorium, a grand central hall, music school, choir rehearsal, art gallery, shop and multi-use spaces. It will also be home to Africa's first Bible Museum and Documentation Centre, dedicated to Christianity and nation-building in Ghana.
Adjaye Associates' concept for the new National Cathedral establishes a unique, 21st century landmark where religion, democracy and local tradition are seamlessly and symbolically intertwined. Drawing inspiration from both Christian symbolism and Ghanaian heritage, the design celebrates Ghanaian culture and speaks to the unification of the West African region and collective kinship. The cathedral will serve simultaneously as a religious and a cultural institution, a new national landmark and a community hub for gathering and learning.
"It is an immense honour to be granted the opportunity to contribute something of this scale and import to my home country," commented Sir David Adjaye, principal of Adjaye Associates. "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."
