UK architect Sir David Adjaye has been selected by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity to design the Abrahamic Family House, which will contain a church, mosque and synagogue, in the same space.
Located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, the three religious spaces will look inward on a central courtyard and sit alongside a secular visitor pavilion.
A press release from the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, says the project should be a "community for inter-religious dialogue and exchange, and nurture the values of peaceful co-existence and acceptance among beliefs, nationalities and cultures".
The higher committee was founded earlier this month to encourage inter-faith dialogue.
David Adjaye, Adjaye Associates’ founder, said: "I believe architecture should work to enshrine the kind of world we want to live in, a world of tolerance, openness, and constant advancement. Architecture and landscape design can interpret the fabric and principles of a place, to advance the conversation, reassess current assumptions about the world, and discover more meaningfully what a place can give back.
"As an architect I want to create a building that starts to dissolve the notion of hierarchical difference – it should represent universality and totality – something higher that enhances the richness of human life."
Miguel Ãngel Ayuso Guixot, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue’s president, said: "This endeavor is a profoundly moving moment for humanity. Although sadly evil, hatred, and division often make news, there is a hidden sea of goodness that is growing and leads us to hope in dialogue, reciprocal knowledge and the possibility of building – together with the followers of other religions and all men and women of good will – a world of fraternity and peace."
Bruce Lustig, senior rabbi at Washington’s Hebrew Congregation, said: "This is an important opportunity for all who believe in the power of faith and humanity. It will help build bridges between religious leaders and communities as well as foster peace and harmony in an era that is too often defined by difference."
Image: Adjaye’s design for the Abrahamic Family House (The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity/Adjaye Associates)
