The Abrahamic Family House: A Vision of Universal Harmony and Interfaith Dialogue

The Abrahamic Family House is a collection of three religious spaces: a mosque, a synagogue and a church, all of which sit upon a secular visitor pavilion. Located in the midst of the cultural hub of Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, embraced by the Louvre on one side and the Guggenheim Museum on the other, this complex housing three separate places of worship alongside one another is designed to be a powerful universal message to honor the separate integrity of each religion, while conveying a spirit of mutual respect and shared religioethical values for the benefit of humanity at large.

Architectural Vision and Design Principles

Designed by the award-winning architect Sir David Adjaye, the form is translated from the three faiths, carefully using the lens to define what is similar as opposed to what is different. As David Adjaye states: "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."

The design appears as powerful plutonic forms with a clear geometry, three cubes sitting on a plinth – though not aligned, they each have different orientations. The story starts to become apparent through the power of the silhouette, unified with commonality and the articulation of the three forms. These structures represent a safe space, each volume illustrated with colonnades, screens and vaults to represent the sacred nature.

The Houses of Worship and Shared Spaces

Within each of the houses of worship, visitors have the opportunity to observe religious services, listen to holy scripture, and experience sacred rituals. There is a striking common architectural theme to all three houses, while at the same time they express their own individuality:

• The Mosque: The bare simplicity of the mosque conveys an aesthetic majesty which is awe-inspiring.
• The Church: The church has a stunningly beautiful abstract interior that seeks to echo the light of St. Peter’s cathedral.
• The Synagogue: The synagogue, which takes its inspiration from the Tabernacle, has a lovely intimacy that evokes the transcendent at the same time.

The fourth space — not affiliated with any specific religion — serves as a center for all people of goodwill to come together as one. The garden is used as a powerful metaphor, a safe space where community, connection and civility combine – this space exists between the three chambers, the three faiths. The podium allows you to interact with each space with no preventative threshold, to dissolve the perceptions of not being included and encourage the celebration of this collective history and collective identity.

Project Context and Purpose

The vision for this complex came from the historic visit of Pope Francis to the Emirates and the signing in 2019 of a Declaration of Human Fraternity between the Pope and Sheikh Ahmed Al Tayeb. The house serves as a community for inter-religious dialogue and exchange, nurturing the values of peaceful co-existence and acceptance among different beliefs, nationalities and cultures. It is envisioned also as a place of education and edification, introducing the particularities of each religious traditions while at the same time conveying the powerful message of genuine respect for religious diversity.

Technical Information

According to the project metrics and technical data, the Abrahamic Family House features the following specifications:

• Status: 2023
• Area: 6,500 m² / 70,000 ft²
• Category: Civic, Culture
• Client: UAE Government
• Design Architect: Adjaye Associates
• Award: Best Luxury Public Services Architecture, Luxury Lifestyle Award, 2020