Architect says charity now acknowledges his sacking was a “misunderstanding”

Robert Adam

Robert Adam

Classical architect Robert Adam has received an apology from charity the International Network for Traditional Building Architecture and Urbanism, which ousted him as chair last year.

Adam said he had been “sacked without warning” by INTBAU in October 22, and added that the organisation – which he founded in 2001 – had given him no reason for the dismissal.

This week, Adam said INTBAU’s UK trustees and directors had given him a personal apology and issued a statement clarifying that the situation stemmed from a “misunderstanding”.

Signatories to the statement include Stanhope Gate Architecture principal Alireza Sagharchi and former chancellor Lord Norman Lamont, both of whom are INTBAU trustees.

The statement says Sagharchi, Lamont and two other trustees “sincerely regret any distress this matter may have caused Prof Adam and that any subsequent matters may have reflected negatively on his professional and personal reputation”.

It adds that the charity’s trustees and directors “all hold Prof Adam in the highest esteem and celebrate his 21 years of service as founder and chair of INTBAU”.

Adam said the statement drew a line under what had been a “very upsetting year”.

“I have finally arrived at the place I feel I should have been 11 months ago,” he said. “Now I can concentrate my efforts on supporting the important mission of the organisation I helped to create.”

Prince Charles – now King Charles III – was royal founding patron of INTBAU. Adam has now been made a permanent member of INTBAU’s committee as a “founding honorary fellow”.