Burj Khalifa is three times taller than the Eiffel Tower, yet its design cost $1.8m – Security analyst
National Cathedral architecture was sole-sourced to Sir Adjaye for $22m – Simons alleges
Security Analyst Adib Saani has joined the long list of Ghanaians who have criticised the government for the alleged $22 million payment to Sir David Adjaye for his firm's architectural work on the National Cathedral of Ghana (NCG).
According to Saani, even the architectural drawing and creation of the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, cost $ 1.8 million.
In a post on Facebook on June 23, 2022, the security analyst indicated that the alleged fee paid to David Adjaye is illogical.
"The architectural drawing and creation (of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world which was designed and created by American architect Adrian Smith) cost $1.8million.
"The Burj Khalifa height is a staggering 828 meters (2716.5 feet) tall, soaring over Dubai. It's three times as tall as the Eiffel Tower and nearly twice as tall as the Empire State Building. Laid end to end, its pieces stretch over a quarter of the way around the world. Its cloud-piercing height is certainly one of the most impressive facts about Burj Khalifa.
"National Cathedral of Ghana architecture by the only qualified architect in Ghana, David Adjaye, cost the taxpayer $22million or perhaps more... How irresponsible, insensitive, callous can you be?" portions of the post shared by Saani read.
Meanwhile, the Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has alleged that the architecture work for the National Cathedral project was sole-sourced to Sir David Adjaye and Associates Limited at $22 million.
The $22 million agreement, Simons said, is 10 per cent of the total cost to be incurred for the National Cathedral project.
In a tweet shared on June 16, 2022, the IMANI vice president added that Sir David Adjaye and Associates Limited were paid $6 million even before they commenced work.
"To build its National Cathedral, Ghana decides to single-source just the architecture to Adjaye & assoc for ~$22m (10% of project cost!) And pay $6m upfront!" portions of the tweet read.
Read the post by Saani below:
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IB/SEA
Burj Khalifa (right) and the National Cathedral of Ghana (left)