The World Monuments Fund and Knoll have awarded the 2026 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize to the Australia-based architecture firm Architectus for its conservation of Africa Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The building, completed in 1961 and designed by Italian architect Arturo Mezzedimi, serves as the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and was commissioned by Emperor Haile Selassie. The decade-long, $57 million restoration project, completed in October 2024, involved local experts, restored original furniture and stained-glass windows by artist Afewerk Tekle, and modernized the structure while preserving its modernist vision. The jury also awarded its first Stewardship Award for Modernist Homes to the Umbrella House in Sarasota, Florida, designed by Paul Rudolph.
This award matters because it marks the first time an African project has won the prize since its inception in 2008, highlighting the growing recognition of modernist architecture on the continent. Africa Hall is a symbol of decolonization and pan-African unity, having hosted the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. The conservation project demonstrates how historic modernist buildings can be sensitively updated for contemporary use while preserving their cultural and political significance. The new Stewardship Award also signals an expanded focus on preserving private modernist residences, addressing the vulnerability of such homes to natural disasters and neglect.