Adjaye Associates has opened a new four-storey studio in Accra, combining a permanent base for its work with a public venue for talks, exhibitions, workshops and creative collaboration.
The new space marks the continued expansion of the practice’s presence in Ghana’s capital and is intended to bring together people working across architecture, design and other creative disciplines.
A substantial area on the ground floor has been created for public use. Its layout can be adapted for different types and sizes of events, ranging from small conversations and workshops to larger gatherings and exhibitions.
Adjaye Associates says the programme is expected to develop organically over time, rather than operate according to a fixed institutional model. The studio is therefore designed to function as an adaptable setting for cultural exchange and public activity.
Designed by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye, the building is located in Cantonments, one of Accra’s most central and established neighbourhoods. Its architecture is defined by a finned facade and a 26-metre cantilever, which creates more than 1,300 square metres of column-free office space.
The structure uses rammed earth and low-carbon concrete. According to the firm, those materials reflect its focus on environmental performance and the use of locally relevant resources.
The building can accommodate up to 180 people and will serve as part of the firm’s wider network of studios. Kofi Bio, chief executive of Adjaye Associates’ Ghana office, said the practice’s studios in London, New York and Accra work together as one organisation.
The Accra studio will provide the firm with a base for projects across the African continent, as well as a place to work with Ghanaian architects, designers and students.
Adjaye Associates was founded by David Adjaye and has an established record of projects in Ghana and internationally. In Accra, the practice designed the Bank of Ghana’s Bank Square headquarters, a building that houses 25 departments and 2,500 employees.
The firm has also worked with the Wish4Life Foundation on the International Children’s Cancer Research Centre in Ghana.
The new studio extends that connection with Accra while giving the wider creative community a space for discussion, collaboration and public events.
