In January 2026, the World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize was awarded to Australian firm Architectus for their conservation of the Africa Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The award recognizes that Modernist buildings, once seen as a vanguard of architecture, are falling into disrepair and are underappreciated by the public. The situation in Africa is typical of this global sentiment, and this was the first time a building on the continent was graced with this award. The prize also spotlights Ethiopia's rich Modernist inventory, which marks its continental role in the mid and late twentieth century.
Modern Ethiopia has a unique place in African history as the only country to successfully resist colonization (apart from a brief period of Italian occupation before the Second World War). Its capital city, Addis Ababa, was established by Emperor Menelik II in 1886, further south than previous capitals, as a method of unifying the country. A period of modernization in the early twentieth century brought the railways, as well as craft and engineering skills from abroad. The Italian occupation later continued this process. The reign of Emperor Haile Selassie coincided with the independence of most African states from European colonization, and the establishment of continental and international organizations, commissioning Modernist buildings in the process.
