Landmark multi-faith design project in the UAE

London-based architects Adjaye Associates has revealed design plans for a landmark project in the United Arab Emirates that includes a church, mosque and synagogue on the same site.

Referred to as the Abrahamic Family House, the multi-faith development will be located on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, near the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The purpose of the development is to serve as a community space for inter-religious dialogue, promoting tolerance among people of different beliefs and cultures. Inside the church, mosque and synagogue visitors will be able to observe religious services, listen to holy scripture and experience sacred rituals. A fourth secular space will serve as a centre for the community to come together.

Each of the buildings has a unique geometric design. Although they are sitting together on a plinth, they are not aligned and have different orientations.

According to architect David Adjaye, the story of the development is told through the power of the buildings’ forms, as well as their articulation and commonality.

A side-by-side comparison of the interiors of the church, mosque and synagogue. Image credit: Adjaye Architects

The buildings have been designed to represent a safe, sacred space, with the use of colonnades, screens and vaults.

The common ground between all of these structures, the garden, represents the space that exists between the three faiths, where the community will come together.