On the 61st anniversary of Ghana’s independence, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has unveiled plans for a New National Cathedral of Ghana to be built in the capital city of Accra. Led by British-Ghanaian architect David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates, the design is envisioned as a “physical embodiment of unity, harmony and spirituality” where people of all faiths will be welcome to gather and practice their faith.
“The Cathedral will address the missing link in our nation’s architecture by providing a Church of national purpose,” said President Akufo-Addo. “It will be an inter-denominational house of worship and prayer, as well as serve as the venue for formal state occasions of a religious nature, such as presidential inaugurations, state funerals and national thanksgiving services.”
The new Cathedral will be located on a 14-acre site adjacent to Osu Cemetery near Independence Square and the Accra Sports Stadium. An axial procession of landscaped gardens will lead up to the Cathedral, perched on a dramatic plinth and accessed via monumental staircases on the Northeastern and Southwestern ends.
Inside, Adjaye Associates will collaborate with some of Ghana and Africa’s most celebrated artists to create bespoke adornments and furnishings. The Cathedral will contain a number of grand chapels; a baptistery; a two-level, 5000-seat auditorium; a vast central hall; a music school; choir facilites; an art gallery; a shop; and several multi-purpose halls. The building will also contain Africa’s first Bible Museum and Documentation Centre, which will educate visitors on the history of Christianity and nation-building in Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo also announced the creation of a new ceremonial route and landscape that will connect the Cathedral to the capital’s most important landmarks including Independence Square, Osu Cemetery, the State House and Africa Unity Circle.
“It is an immense honour to be granted the opportunity to contribute something of this scale and import to my home country,” commented Adjaye at the unveiling event. “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.”
News via Adjaye Associates.
