Richard Meier has taken a six-month leave of absence from the architecture firm he founded, after allegations of sexual harassment were made against him by five women, including four former employees, in the New York Times.

In response to the newspaper’s detailed accounts, a statement was posted on the website of Richard Meier & Partners, in which the Pritzker-winning architect said: “I am deeply troubled and embarrassed by the accounts of several women who were offended by my words and actions. While our recollections may differ, I sincerely apologise to anyone who was offended by my behaviour.

“I am leaving the company in the hands of a dedicated and outstanding senior management team, which has spent the past three decades serving our clients and building our firm’s success.”

Michael Palladino, partner and head of the company’s Los Angeles office, will oversee all of the firm’s operations and projects in Meier’s absence.

Palladino said: “Richard has built a world-class design practice and we will continue the strong collaboration between our two offices, as we continue to build on that legacy. We believe that women should feel comfortable and empowered in all workplaces – including ours.”

Several cultural institutions have already distanced themselves from Meier in the wake of the allegations, including his alma mater Cornell University.

In a statement, the university's Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of Architecture, Art, and Planning Kent Kleinman said: “I am deeply disturbed to learn of the allegations of sexual misconduct by Richard Meier. As one of our most well-known alumni, he has been associated with Cornell University and the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning through his gifts that support students and faculty. Although he has apologised, the reported behaviour is unacceptable.

“Therefore, we will decline his new gift to name the chair of the Department of Architecture, and we are cancelling the event that had been planned for next week to celebrate the gift. We will swiftly explore what additional actions are appropriate with regard to endowments for professorships and scholarships previously donated to Cornell.”

The J. Paul Getty Trust, for whom Meier designed the Getty Center in Los Angeles in 1997, has cancelled a dinner next week that was set to honour him, while Sotheby’s New York will close an exhibition of his works that were being shown at its gallery in New York.

However, Meier will, for the time being, retain his Pritzker Prize. In a statement, the organisers of the Prize said: "Richard Meier was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1984, based on his architectural merit at that time. We do not comment on the personal lives of our Laureates, but do consider all sexual allegations to be serious, as abusive behaviour towards any individual is unacceptable."

Richard Meier & Partners’ body of work that spans more than 50 years and takes in private residences, skyscrapers, civic buildings, offices, hotels – including the W Hotels and the recently opened Seamarq Hotel in South Korea – and a range of public buildings that include Rome’s Jubilee Church and the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art.

Meier was interviewed by CLAD in 2017, in which he discussed his influences and his work.