OLD TOWN — Acclaimed architect David Adjaye is no longer working with a developer to overhaul several Old Town buildings as the designer faces accusations of sexual misconduct within his firm.
Adjaye, whose work includes the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., was selected by development firm Fern Hill to design a development entailing a few properties around 1600 N. LaSalle Drive.
But a spokesperson from Fern Hill confirmed Thursday the architect will step away from the project.
“We have spoken with Adjaye Associates and are aware of these very serious allegations,” the spokesperson said. “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.”
The allegations against Adjaye were detailed in a Financial Times report in which three former employees accused him of sexually assaulting and harassing them.
RELATED: Old Town Developers Tap World-Class Architect To Design Projects In The Neighborhood
The women, whose identities were kept anonymous, told the Financial Times that Adjaye made unwanted advances, inappropriately touched them and pressured them for sex in multiple incidents dating back to 2018, among other allegations.
The repeated harassment disrupted their careers, financial stability and mental health, they told the Financial Times.
In a statement, Adjaye told the publication he “absolutely reject[s] any claims of sexual misconduct, abuse or criminal wrongdoing.”
“I am ashamed to say that I entered into relationships which though entirely consensual, blurred the boundaries between my professional and personal lives,” Adjaye said. “I am deeply sorry.”
Adjaye said he will seek professional help to “learn from these mistakes” and restore trust and accountability.
Adjaye’s firm did not return Block Club’s request for comment, but his lawyer told the Financial Times the three women had “their own grievances” against the architect.
Adjaye was tapped by Fern Hill in 2021 to design plans for the developers’ project to overhaul a series of properties in Old Town.
The sites are:
- The BP Gas Station at 1647 N. LaSalle Drive.
- The Shell Gas Station at 130 W. North Ave.
- The Moody Church campus around 1635 N. LaSalle Drive.
- The parking lot at North Avenue and LaSalle Drive.
- The Walgreens at 1601 N. Wells St.
- The vacant Treasure Island retail space on Wells Street.
The Fern Hill development is the second project in the U.S. that Adjaye has stepped away from in light of the allegations.
The architect also was set to build a 95,000-square-foot public library in Multnomah County, Oregon, but officials announced Wednesday he was “no longer associated” with the project, according to the Oregonian.
Adjaye has also relinquished roles as an architectural advisor to the mayor of London, trustee to the acclaimed Serpentine Gallery in London and an architect working on a British Holocaust memorial, according to a New York Times report.
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