He has also welcomed public criticism over the siting and construction of such an edifice, saying the “naysayers” will get to know how important a national cathedral is for a country like Ghana when it is up.
For him, the laying in state of Ghana’s son, Kofi Annan, for instance, at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) did not dignify such an illustrious son.
“When Kofi Annan was laid in state, it was at the [Accra International] Conference Centre. Is that the right way for a nation to celebrate such an important event?” he quizzed in an exclusive interview on TV3’s New Day on Thursday, September 26.
“It should not be at the [Accra International] Conference Centre,” he insisted, “it should be at the cathedral like any nation that has the dignity to do that.”
‘It is sacred’
He said it is high time Ghana built a national cathedral to celebrate the unity in the country.
“It is sacred. It is so important we celebrate it more aggressively than most other nations and it seems right that all the other church leaders have come together to say that this is the building.”
There was public criticism against the Akufo-Addo-led government in 2018 after it unveiled the architectural designs for the 5,000-seater monument.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo indicated that the cathedral will be a legacy of the 60th independence anniversary.
This did not go down well with many, who described the project as a misplaced priority given the lack of health centres, schools and other social amenities in the country.
Sir David Adjaye said the government is very much into building the facilities being demanded just that they are too mundane to be issues of media discussion.
“I think it is healthy that people are questioning why something is being done and what its purpose is for,” he admitted.
Nevertheless, he cited how naysayers ran down the National Musuem of African American History in 2009 when it was handed over to him to design in partnership with other world-acclaimed architects.
“Half the people said why do you need this? What’s the importance of it? Why do we have to spend so much money on this thing and then when it was finished, the queues around the corner, all the naysayers are all standing in front of the building and say how proud they are.
“It uplifted the sense of black culture in America to have their stories said on the [National] Mall.”
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana