Restoration of Africa Hall in Ethiopia wins WMF modernism prize

The renovation of Africa Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by Australian studio Architectus has been awarded the 2026 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize.

Architectus completed a 10-year restoration of the building, which was originally designed by Italian architect Arturo Mezzedimi as the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, in 2024.

The studio aiming to retain the core elements of the building, which opened in 1961, while making it better suited to today's needs as a diplomatic institution.