Spirituality in Architecture: An Interview with Sir David Adjaye

Spirituality in Architecture: An Interview with Sir David Adjaye by Jake  Pickard and Luis Carcamo

Sir David Adjaye, founder of Adjaye Associates, is recognised for weaving cultural celebration, interfaith dialogue, and spirituality into the built environment. Following  his lecture on spiritual architecture, we had the pleasure of chatting with Adjaye to gain a  deeper understanding of his design philosophy and architectural approach.

 

The Abrahamic Family House - Courtesy Adjaye Associates 

Sacred Encounter 

The process of designing the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi—a  complex that includes spaces for Muslim, Christian, and Jewish prayer—required  more than cultural sensitivity; it demanded inner clarity. Through deep immersion in  religious traditions and dialogue with spiritual leaders, Adjaye was drawn into spaces  of reflection that challenged and changed him. The project opened internal pathways  to questions he had not previously had the time or space to fully explore.  

He described a similar experience during the creation of the National Museum  of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Although  formally a museum, he views the building as “a kind of church… a monument, a  temple.” It stands as a space of collective memory and spiritual dialogue, functioning  far beyond its initial programmatic brief. For Adjaye, architects must be able to  engage not only with what is required on paper, but with what lies invisibly beneath— the emotional, historical, and symbolic dimensions of place.  

Addressing the question of how sacred architecture can affect those who are non religious, he recounted how atheists and secular visitors have entered the spaces he designed and emerged moved and contemplative. This is not a coincidence, but an intention. The architect believes that space, light, proportion, and material can  resonate with universal human emotions—stillness, transcendence, and the yearning  for meaning. 

The Abrahamic Family House [Roof Plan] - Courtesy Adjaye Associates 

Architectural Justice 

“Built into the DNA of what architecture is at its purest form is this desire to create a  justice - human justice”. - Sir David Adjaye. 

Adjaye challenges us to reconsider architecture not merely as a formal or technical  pursuit, but as an ethical and transformative practice. He believes that  architecture carries fundamental impulses toward human justice - a  spatial commitment to inclusivity, equity, and care. Within his practice, Adjaye  embodies these values through cultural collaboration and a balanced gender  workforce.  

For Adjaye, the boundaries between political, cultural, and environmental agendas  are not discrete but entangled. Architecture, therefore, cannot remain neutral. It must actively respond to the interwoven realities of injustice, whether social,  historical, religious, or ecological. This perspective reframes the architect’s role: no  longer a distant designer, but an engaged actor in the production of a more  just and inclusive world. The built environment, in this view, becomes a site of  intervention - capable of healing, memory, and resistance. 

In a world facing division, displacement, and ecological crisis, Adjaye’s vision is clear:  the spaces we build reflect our values. Thus, architecture in its purest form  should celebrate, promote, and pioneer human justice. 

The Three Houses of Worship: The Synagogue, Church, and Masjid (Left-Right) - Courtesy Adjaye Associates

Spirituality of Architecture 

For Adjaye, the creative process is a catharsis—a means of working through  personal and collective wounds, and confronting the injustices witnessed in the  world. Designing spiritual spaces enables architects to confront inner conflicts,  societal injustices, and existential questions. When asked whether immersing  himself in the spiritual traditions of the Abrahamic faiths provoked transformation  at a personal level, Adjaye was clear: “Architecture is not salvation,” he said,  “but it is a method to believe in something.” Rather than simply offering  functional solutions, architecture becomes a space for introspection and  reconciliation. 

Spiritual design is rooted in fundamental human experiences: faith, love, doubt,  and hope. For Adjaye, designing spaces of worship—spaces that provoke spiritual  reflection—means tapping into these shared human conditions, whether or not one is religious. In projects like the Abrahamic Family House, collaboration with religious leaders and listening with humility were essential for  Adjaye. He describes the architect as a steward of dialogue across  faiths, translating theological ideas into spatial form. When asking Adjaye about  his experience meeting great religious leaders, he mentioned that he approached  discussions “with extreme humility at the honour of being able to talk to such great  people… I was mostly listening, not talking. You know, I think when you meet such  people, it’s a moment to actually shut up.” 

As a society, we have been able to solve most of the problems concerning residential  and commercial design; however, during these discoveries, we have lost the spiritual  dimension of human beings. Adjaye views architecture as a generational gift: contributing to a collective cultural memory and offering future  societies spaces for reflection, belonging, and meaning.