The Abrahamic Family House is a landmark project. The breath-taking site located on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island was designed by renowned architect, Sir David Adjayeon and encompasses a mosque, a church, a synagogue in recognition of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, as well as a forum for gathering and dialogue. It is a place for religious tolerance and education, bringing faiths together and sending a message of unity to the world. It welcomes people from all walks of life, to participate in a unique environment, including religious services, tours, festivals and opportunities to explore issues around faith.

We were honoured to have been involved in this seminal project.

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A dialogue of faiths

We developed the visitor experience for the exhibits in the Welcome Centre. The Welcome Centre is a focus for education and orientation to the site for tourists, residents, and school children. It is the main entrance for the visiting public and a gathering space for interfaith activities including lectures and dialogues, seminars, conferences, and summits. 

We were also commissioned to create the media content for three installations and enhanced soundscapes for the exhibition in the Forum. The Forum, a space not affiliated to any religion, is a place for members of diverse faith communities to exchange knowledge, share experience and nurture mutual understanding.

Journeys of faiths

For the Welcome Center, our concept is a highly immersive and aesthetic design intended to transform the visitor and prepare them for dialogue and sharing. These experiences include a multi-layered theatre in the round, light and sound installations exploring music and prayer, interactive story station, and participatory experiences that invited visitors to share their thoughts and ideas. In addition to the visitor experience planning, we also worked with Miral and Adjaye to plan the facility for the Welcome Centre and how it would operate. 

For the Forum, the media installations look in turn at journeys of faith through everyday lives, the symbolism of light, the importance of the word and coming together in places of worship. They each express moments of shared experience across the three Abrahamic faiths and are deeply underpinned by the core messages of mutual respect, empathy and tolerance promoted by the Abrahamic Family House. The powerful media provides moving, emotional, and spiritual content that is contemplative and mesmeric. They grow from and respond to the simplicity and beauty of the site's architecture.