With mounting allegations of sexual misconduct against celebrated Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, representatives for NEOM – the ambitious trillion-dollar Saudi Arabian linear city development – have confirmed that they are no longer working with Adjaye Associates on the project.

NEOM’s The Line is just one among several projects that Adjaye has stepped back from, following allegations by three former employees of his firm, who have accused him of sexual assault, abuse and harassment with the incidents going back to 2018-2019.

Architects’ Journal, which broke the news last week about the architect’s exit from the prestigious project, reported that Adjaye Associates, according to the NEOM spokesperson, was involved in 'pre-concept architectural work on The Line' in 2021, along with several world-leading architects.

Adjaye, a recipient of the Gold Medal awarded by the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2021, is battling a slew of allegations from the unnamed former employees with charges ranging from sexual misconduct to the toxic work environment and mismanagement at the firm. Adjaye Associates operates offices in London, New York and Accra (Ghana), and employs more than 200 people.

Following the damning allegations, Adjaye is no longer involved in multiple projects including the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in London; the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum in Liverpool; the East County Library in Oregon; the Africa Institute campus in Sharjah; and the Fern Hill redevelopment in Chicago among many more. The architect has also resigned from the London mayor’s panel of design advocates, as well as the Serpentine Gallery’s board of trustees.

Several clients are currently reassessing their engagement with the firm, even as Adjaye rejects the allegations and maintains his innocence.

Image: RIBA

Branko Miletic

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