World-renowned architect David Adjaye is stepping away from what would have been his first design in Chicago after allegations of sexual misconduct from former female employees at his firm.
Developer Fern Hill said it is moving forward without Adjaye’s involvement on a major development planned on parcels in the city along three of its wealthiest neighborhoods: Old Town, Lincoln Park and the Gold Coast.
It means the Chicago developer must seek a replacement for the globetrotting architect who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017 and is known for designing projects such as the Smithsonian National Museum of African History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
The change comes after a recent Financial Times report in which three unnamed former female employees of London-based Adjaye Associates accused the architect of sexually harassing and assaulting women who worked at his firm.
"We have spoken with Adjaye Associates and are aware of these very serious allegations,” a spokeswoman for Fern Hill said in an emailed statement to CoStar News. “At this time, Sir David will step away from the project, and we will continue to move forward in the best interest of our local stakeholders and partners in this transformational opportunity for the city of Chicago.”
In public statements, Adjaye has admitted to having consensual relationships with the women but denies any wrongdoing. His firm did not respond to requests for comment from CoStar News on Thursday.
Adjaye has stepped away or been removed from several assignments after the allegations surfaced this week, including resigning as the architectural adviser to London Mayor Sadiq Khan and from work on projects including a Holocaust museum in London and a library in Oregon, according to media reports.
The Chicago Sun-Times earlier reported Adjaye’s removal from the Chicago project.
Chicago Project
Born in Tanzania to Ghanian parents, Adjaye has designed buildings throughout the world — but never in Chicago, a city known for buildings of historical and architectural importance.
That was set to change as Fern Hill, led by former Related Midwest executive Nick Anderson, seeks public backing and eventual city zoning approval for one or more towers on parcels it controls near Lake Michigan, the city’s largest park and multimillion-dollar homes on Chicago’s North Side. The project is expected to include at least one residential high-rise on a parking lot at the corner of LaSalle Street and North Avenue.
The developer also plans to redevelop nearby properties, some of which it will buy from The Moody Church. Fern Hill is in the process of seeking community support for the project that could consolidate much of the density onto the site at North and LaSalle.
Fern Hill's statement did not indicate whether it is engaging another architect to take over the project from Adjaye.
Adjaye spoke during an online community meeting about the Chicago project hosted by 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins in September 2021, providing a broad, preliminary vision for what he said would be a “signature development” for the city.
He described wandering neighborhood streets of Old Town and Lincoln Park, noting architectural elements such as turrets, finials, cones, domes and arches that he said formed a “beautiful mosaic” that would influence his ultimate design.
No renderings have been unveiled, and it’s unclear what will come next in the public approval process.
Major Project for Firm
Adjaye’s involvement was seen as a coup at the time for Fern Hill in taking on its first large-scale development.
“We could not be more honored to work with Sir David Adjaye, who’s unarguably one of the most renowned architects of our generation,” Anderson, Fern Hill’s president, said in an emailed statement to CoStar News in fall 2021. “We look forward to engaging the Old Town community in bringing one of his works to life and adding his name to the ranks of Chicago’s great architectural legacy.”
The last public discussion of the project came about six months ago.
Anderson said in February that the firm hoped to transfer unused air rights from nearby properties to create an Adjaye-designed residential tower on the parking lot at the northwest corner of LaSalle and North.
Creating a master plan for the area with height-limit guarantees would help maintain views of the lake for high-rises in the area, while also helping preserve 19th century structures in the area by removing an incentive for those owners to sell to developers.
Hopkins has yet to take a public stance on the proposal, which eventually would require a vote by the full City Council.