Adjaye Associates unveils Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi

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• Adjaye Associates unveils Abrahamic Family House interfaith complex in Abu Dhabi
• Most influential architects
• Master Gardener: What’s happening to our naval orange tree?
• Ahmed El Tayeb Mosque
• Why no indoor garden should be without this plant
• Top architecture stories
• The abandoned bin Laden mansion on sale for $28 million

The number is of particular significance to the faith as it is widely referenced in Islamic knowledge and practice. The elevated space, accessed via a set of stairs or a lift, is a great way to begin a visit. Taking the Saadiyat Island exit of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street, it is beside the soon-to-be-built Zayed National Museum. Abu Dhabi’s dedication to religious tolerance is now enshrined in a stunning new precinct on Saadiyat Island.

Adjaye Associates unveils Abrahamic Family House interfaith complex in Abu Dhabi

First stop was the Christian church named after St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century monk and founder of the Franciscan Order who dedicated his life to prayer and poverty as an itinerant preacher. The place of worship was built in tribute to the Abrahamic religions, drawn from the prophet Abraham, revered in Islam, Judaism and Christianity. He said the UAE had always strived to serve as a catalyst for peace, tolerance and understanding and stability in the world. One is shorter than the other, representing the ascent and descent of Jesus Christ, which is at the core of the Christian faith.

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The Emirates also has a long tradition of tolerance, with Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other port cities historically serving as an opening to the world. Two hundred different nationalities now make their homes and do business in the UAE and generally enjoy freedom of worship. “We remain committed to harnessing the power of mutual respect, understanding and diversity to achieve shared progress,” UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on Thursday. The road to Thursday’s opening began with Pope Francis’ February 2019 trip to the UAE, where he met with the grand imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, leader of the oldest Islamic educational institute in the world. Their meeting ended with their signing of the Document on Human Fraternity, which set ambitious goals to foster interfaith understanding.

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At the entrance of the synagogue is a phrase written in Hebrew to welcome the worshippers and on its side are basins for washing before any religious services. A bronze chainmail canopy is at its ceiling to create a tent-like structure used during Jewish marriages, where couples stand under a fabric beneath a sea of stars. Its style is a nod to an architectural element known as the mashrabiya — detailed wooden latticework commonly found in North Africa. Within the mosque, which can seat up to 322 people shoulder to shoulder, there is a smaller space dedicated to female worshipers.

Ahmed El Tayeb Mosque

The seating area inside is gender-segregated by a screen and outside the synagogue are two Mikvah, a ritual bath designed for the Jewish rite of purification before praying. There is also a small synagogue adjacent to the main building for community learning. Weekly updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs.

Visitors are invited to experience each of the three houses of worship and discover the key tenets of each Abrahamic faith. "Our hope is that through these buildings that celebrate three distinct religions, people of all faiths and from across society can learn and engage in a mission of peaceful coexistence for generations to come." Architectural design should work to enshrine the kind of world we want to live in, a world of tolerance, openness, and constant advancement. Architecture and landscape design can interpret the fabric and principles of a place, to advance the conversation, reassess current assumptions about the world, and discover more meaningfully what a place can give back. The design seeks a common language between the three monumental buildings of faith, grounding them with an external visual harmony, while ensuring they retain their vital formal distinctiveness.

The Ten Commandments are printed in Hebrew and flank the walls of the prayer hall. Generous shafts of light pierce through windows, which are engraved with Islamic motifs, and fall on the carpet in the shape of pearls. Separate ablution areas flank the mosque and plenty of cubby holes are available to place your shoes prior to entry. Named after the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, the Eminence Ahmed El Tayeb Mosque has capacity for three hundred people and is defined by seven arches.

Four seamless, monolithic columns represent the Islamic notions of stability, order, and fullness and create a vaulting space that orients the visitors toward the mihrab. The only fully opaque wall billows to make room for the simplistic stone mihrab, which is bathed in the patterned light from the screens. Discover Saadiyat Island’s mosque, church and synagogue, all in one location dedicated to faith and knowledge.

The dedicated houses of worship, called the Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque, His Holiness Francis Church, and Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue, all feature spaces for observers. Daily guided tours are planned to explore the 6,500 square meter complex, with tour guides showing visitors the particular design features chosen for the specific practices and traditions of each faith. Each of the houses takes the exterior shape of a cube measuring 30x30x30 meters. The dimensions render the three houses equal in volume and create visual harmony within the complex, while particular design decisions differentiate the architectural expression of each volume.

Visitors of all faiths are being invited to come together and take part in public worship services and education programmes. Sheikh Saif and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, officially inaugurated the new faith centre on February 17. The National's reporter Saeed Saeed speaks to host Sarah Forster about why the complex was built, its most striking features and what a visit might entail. The mosque has a seating capacity of 322 shoulder to shoulder and separate ablution facilities for men and women. After entering the synagogue, the visitors are greeted by the Ten Commandments written in Hebrew on the white stone walls, and two gold menorahs are placed on either side of the wooden ark. A calendar of services will be published by each house of worship in the coming weeks.

david adjaye shares first look at the abrahamic family house in abu dhabi - Designboom

david adjaye shares first look at the abrahamic family house in abu dhabi.

Posted: Thu, 23 Feb 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

A one-story plinth creates the main Forum, with the three houses of worship around it. Rooted in the UAE’s values of bringing people and cultures together, the Abrahamic Family House embodies the diversity of Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE, home to vibrant multicultural communities of various faiths. Located in Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Cultural District on Saadiyat Island, the Abrahamic Family House is free to visit. The mosque is open from the first until the last prayer of the day while the church and synagogue are open from 7am to 9pm.

While the Disneys lived in the house, his company released a string of classic animated movies that are still popular today, including “Pinocchio” 1940, “Fantasia” 1940, “Dumbo” 1941, “Bambi” 1942, and “Cinderella” 1950. Before moving to Woking Way, the Disneys lived in a kit home on Lyric Avenue near Hollywood’s Marshall High School; Mickey Mouse had been designed in its garage, according to Becky Cline, director of the Walt Disney Archives. Outside the synagogue is a mikveh or a bath (for male and female) that is used for ritual immersion in Judaism to achieve spiritual purity.

Sent every Tuesday and containing a selection of the most important news highlights. Sent every Thursday and featuring a selection of the best reader comments and most talked-about stories. A four-column interior grid creates nine ascending vaults on the interior, which positions worshippers towards the mihrab and intends to reference stability, order and fullness. "The walls feature more than 470 operable panels of delicate latticework, creating the mashrabiya on a grand scale – one of the most admired features of Islamic architecture," said the architecture firm.