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The World Monuments Fund (WMF), an international nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites, has announced the United Nations’ Africa Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as recipient of its 2026 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize. Australian firm Architectus will be awarded the prestigious biennial honor for its painstaking, decade-long (2014–2024) renewal of the 1961 modernist landmark designed by Italian architect Arturo Mezzedimi (1922-2010) as headquarters of the UN’s Economic Commission for Africa. In its announcement, WMF heralded Africa Hall as “one of the defining achievements of African modernism, reflecting Mezzedimi’s commitment to functional clarity, symbolic openness, and sweeping panoramic views of the Addis Ababa landscape.”
Photo © Rory Gardiner
This marks the first time that the preservation of a site in Africa has been recognized with the prize, which was jointly established in 2008 by WMF and founding sponsor, American furniture manufacturer Knoll (a subsidiary of MillerKnoll since 2021). The 2026 prize received a total of 73 submissions—a record—across 28 countries.
Previous recipients include the Amancio Williams–designed Casa sobre el Arroyo in Argentina (2024) and Alvar Aalto’s Vyborg Library in present-day Russia (2014). Other recognized sites can be found in Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, and France.
Photos © Rory Gardiner
In a statement, WMF president and CEO Bénédicte de Montlaur lauded Architectus for “honoring the original architect’s vision while ensuring the building can continue to serve as a vital place for cultural exchange and African unity.” Prize jury chair Barry Bergdoll added that the firm’s restoration has allowed Mezzedimi’s design to “speak again, revealing the ambition, craftsmanship, and symbolic power that have made the building a landmark of modernism and a continuing stage for African diplomacy.” Architectus’s efforts at African Hall included renovating key architectural and artistic elements, including the building’s reinforced concrete structure, mosaic finishes, and a trio of monumental stained-glass windows created by late Ethiopian artist Afewerk Tekle. The building, which faced advanced deterioration prior to its restoration, received seismic and accessibility upgrades. Also restored were more than 500 custom furniture pieces designed by Mezzedimi, who worked mainly in East Africa and the Middle East, designing more than 100 buildings in the Horn of Africa—among them Addis Ababa City Hall.
Photo courtesy UNECA Archives
A member of Architectus, which is one of Australia’s largest architecture and design studios with offices spread across the country and in New Zealand, will be formally presented with the 2026 World Monument Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize at a February 18 ceremony and panel discussion held as part of Modernism Week in Palm Springs, California. Typically, the award is given in New York, where WMF is headquartered. In addition to the this latest recognition, the firm’s work at Africa Hall has been honored with the Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Awards’ Restoration/Renovation Award, and a Heritage Architecture Commendation from the Australian Institute of Architects (International) Awards, both in 2025.
Along with the restoration of Africa Hall, the 2026 prize jury has recognized Paul Rudolph’s Umbrella House in Sarasota, Florida, with the Stewardship Award for Modernist Homes. Newly launched this prize cycle, the distinction celebrates “exemplary stewardship of modern residential architecture, where committed owners and design teams have undertaken thoughtful conservation projects that preserve architectural significance while ensuring these homes remain viable places to live.”