Adjaye Associates unveiled the design of the International Children's Cancer Research Centre (ICCRC) in Kyebi, Ghana. A landmark project that reimagines the future of paediatric healthcare across West Africa, for the Wish4Life Foundation.
The ICCRC is set on a 225,000m² site on the eastern slopes of the Atewa Range. The centre is envisioned as a holistic sanctuary for healing, research, teaching, and community. It will be the first institution in West Africa dedicated exclusively to the treatment of childhood cancers. The ambition is transformative: to increase survival rates from the region’s current approximation of 10% to levels approaching the 80% benchmark seen in the United States. The project represents a new model for paediatric care rooted in local traditions, supported by global excellence, and built to be financially self- sustaining.
"The idea of making a hospital is to be in commune with nature, never to be far from it, to be in light, and to create a scenario where the hospital doesn't feel like a machine." - David Adjaye
Drawing inspiration from the Akan belief that illness is a disruption of personal and communal harmony, the ICCRC masterplan is rooted in biophilic design principles that integrate built space with the surrounding forested landscape.
Visitors enter through a Welcome Centre, designed to initiate a sensory transition from the outside world into a space of care. Across the campus, courtyards inspired by the traditional Akan Fihankra provide pockets of light, air, and reflection, offering restorative spaces for patients, families, and medical staff.
Buildings are constructed using rammed earth, composite earth slabs, timber, and clay brickwork; materials that are locally sourced and shaped by local hands. The design speaks a contemporary language while remaining rooted in Ghanaian traditions. Pre-cast low-carbon concrete screens that shade clinical and research buildings reference Kente weaving patterns, embedding ancestral memory and cultural identity into the architecture.
The campus is conceived as a self-sufficient ecosystem. Passive cooling, site-specific orientation, and photovoltaic energy systems ensure sustainability and resilience in the face of changing environmental conditions. This integration of ancestral knowledge with modern technology is a hallmark of Adjaye Associates’ approach.
The ICCRC campus includes a children’s hospital, advanced research laboratories, a training institute for Africa’s next generation of oncologists, staff and family residences, a chapel, and a dedicated family support centre. Rather than isolated silos, these components form an interconnected system.
“I believe design can provide a critical inquiry into social responsibility and civic consciousness. I have always sought to work out the aesthetics of this inquiry in my work. At its best, architecture should contribute to a social change agenda.” - Sir David Adjaye
“No child should be denied the opportunity for cure of their cancer if we have it within our capacity to cure their cancer simply by providing the resources and leveraging our collective voice.” - Dr Tanya Trippett, President of the Wish4Life Foundation.
The project is currently on view at the Time Space Existence exhibition as part of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025.
The exhibition is in the Palazzo Bembo until 23 November 2025.
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Press release and renderings courtesy of Adjaye Associates
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