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Following the sexual harassment allegations made against him by three of his former employees in June this year, Architect David Adjaye’s firm known as Adjaye Associates has been dropped from another landmark project. National Museum Liverpool has recently dropped the global architect’s firm from the redevelopment of one of its projects, International Slavery Museum in Liverpool. Adjaye Associates was appointed to create the architectural design of the museum last year, with Ralph Appelbaum Associates set to create its exhibition design according to Dezeen website.
Now, according to British Newspaper the Financial Times (FT), the National Museums Liverpool (NML) has announced that it is cutting ties with the embattled architect’s firm Adjaye Associates after it commissioned the £57 million project. This is a decision made based on the fact that it felt there were some risks in terms of continuing its contract with Adjaye Associates.
On upholding its commitment to the project, the National Museums Liverpool (NML) is now set to start an “accelerated tender procurement” to find a new architect for the project. “National Museums Liverpool has taken the decision to terminate the contract with Adjaye Associates (AA),” “We would like to thank the AA team who have worked hard to bring the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum transformation project to a developed design stage.” “We remain committed to the project as we continue to build on the momentum already established and intend to start an accelerated tender procurement for new architects in the coming weeks.” As a spokesperson for the museum told Dezeen.
INTERNATIONAL SLAVERY MUSEUM LIVERPOOL
The project’s aim is to turn the museum’s existing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. building into a new entrance to the International Slavery Museum and would add more retail and events spaces as well as a cafeteria and temporary exhibition spaces.
According to Adjaye Associates at the time: “This project presents us with an opportunity to reimagine the historic fabric of this Grade I Listed Building and to reposition it within the powerful context of Liverpool’s Waterfront and its relationship to the transatlantic slave trade.”
It’s understood that Ralph Appelbaum Associates will remain on the job, according to Architects’ Journal, as reported by Dezeen. NML is the latest institution to cut ties with Adjaye Associates after its Principal Architect was accused of sexual harassment by three women who worked for him between 2018 and 2019. The women unreservedly complained that dealing with Adjaye caused them serious mental distress and financial difficulties, and disrupted their careers. After an investigation by the British Newspaper Financial Times (FT) detailed the allegations against the global architect, which he denies through a statement issued by his lawyer, a number of institutions and organizations have cut ties with the architect.
Architect David Adjaye resigned from his role as a design advocate for the mayor of London, a trustee at London’s Serpentine Galleries, while some other institutes and organizations like the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Africa Institute in Sharjah and others cut ties with him following the accusations.
MJ | Buildace Magazine
