Addis Abeba, the capital of Ethiopia and often referred to as the diplomatic capital of Africa, was founded in 1886 by Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taitu. Originally established as a military settlement for dignitaries, the city has since evolved into a vibrant metropolis. Its architectural landscape is a testament to its rich history and diverse cultural influences, showcasing a wide range of styles, from traditional indigenous designs to contemporary and modernist structures. In this exploration, we will delve into 10 architectural masterpieces that highlight the unique character and evolution of Addis Abeba .
1. Addis Abeba Municipality (Addis Abeba City Hall) Year: 1961-1964 Architect: Arturo Mazedium Status: Completed Type: Government, Municipality, City Hall Style: Modernism
Addis Abeba City Hall 1960s_©pinterest.com Addis Abeba City Hall, and the Churchill Avenue from Le Gare 1964-65_©Unkowen via NArcHome Architecture Addis Abeba City Hall aerial view_©here-and-there.no Addis Abeba City Hall Facade_©here-and-there.no Addis Abeba City Hall Facade computer aided model_©Ezana Girma Addis Abeba City Hall aerial Dron shot_©The Mentalyst 2. Jate Kidane Mihiret Church Year: 2001-2009 Architect: Wossen Awoke Status: Completed Type: Church, Cathedral Style: International style, Modernism
Jate Kindanemihiret Church_ ©Yonas Nigussie Jate Kindanemihiret Church_©Kirubel Getachew Jate Kindanemihiret Church_©Kirubel Getachew 3. Stairs Year: 2009 onwards Architect: Zeleke Belay Architects Status: Completed Style: Modernism and Minimalism
Front view of Stairs building_©Zeleke Belay North-East view of Stairs building_©Zeleke Belay Stairs building and the Cubocta Bridge Connection_©ketemajournal The Cubocta Bridge_©pinterest Cubocta Bridge Connection_©ketemajournal Interior of Stairs building_©Zeleke Belay 4. Holy Trinity Cathedral Year: 1931-1943
Architect: Designers of the first built structure (before the Italian occupation in 1920s) are probably Yugoslavians. It was later expanded by architects Slavisa Petrović and Z. Dragojlović in 1960s-70s.
Status: Completed, Currently under renovation by Geom Luigi Varnero Impresa Costruzioni Plc in consultation with Fasil Ghiorgis architects.
Type: Church, Cathedral Style: Neo-Baroque
Holy Trinity Cathedral_©httpageshatours.com Holy Trinity Cathedral_©Sailko Holy Trinity Cathedral Rear View_©Gerhard Huber Nave of the Holy Trinity Cathedral_©A. Davey Interior of the Holy Trinity Cathedral_©A. Davey 5. Bereket Tesfaye Consulting Architects And Engineers Office Year: 2018/19 Architect: Bereket Tesfaye Status: Completed Type: Office Style: Contemporary, Deconstructive
Bereket Tesfaye consulting architects and engineers office_©Solan Kifle Facade View_©Solan Kifle Side View of the building_©Nahom Teklu Side View of the building_©Nahom Teklu Interior View of the building_©Nahom Teklu The Concave Stair_©Nahom Teklu Interior View of the building_©Nahom Teklu 6. Ba’eta Mariam Church And The Mausoleum Of Minilik Ii Year: 1910-1920 Architect: Carl Haertel Type: Church, Mausoleum Style: Neo-Classical
Ba’eta Mariam church and the mausoleum of Minilik II_©Nahom Teklu The three roof structures of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu Isometric View of the Baeta Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu Side View of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu Bronze Lion Sculptures of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu Interior of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu Interior of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu Bell Tower of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu Bell Tower of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu Bell Tower of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu Bell Tower of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu 7. Commercial Bank Of Ethiopia Headquarter Year: 2015-2021
Architect: Chinese architectural firm CSCEC (China State Construction Engineering Corporation)- Design build
Status: Completed
Type: Bank Headquarter
Style: High-Tech Modernism
CBE Headquarter building CAD Model_©skyscrapercenter CBE Headquarter building CAD Model_©china.org.cn CBE Headquarter building and the Addis Abeba Skyline_©Hilena Tafesse 8. The Red Terror Martyrs Museum Year: 2010 Architect: Fasil Giorgis Architects Status: Completed Type: Martyrs Museum, Memorial Style: Modernism with a blend deconstructivism on its form
Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum_©Soman Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum_©Ninaras The memorial Sculpture near the gate of the Museum_©TravelCoordinator The zigzag form for functions attached to the Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum_©Archnet View of the roof of the Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum_©Archnet Interior of the Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum_©Adam Jones 9. Commercial Bank Of Ethiopia Year: 1963 Architect: Henri Chomette Status: Completed Type: Bank Style: Modernism, inspiration from the building culture in rural Ethiopia (‘Tukuls’- circular huts)
Wide birds eye-view of the National Bank of Ethiopia_©archimaps.tumblr Wide birds eye-view of the National Bank of Ethiopia_©Unkowen Interior View of the roof structure of the National Bank_©Sofonias Melesse Front View of the National Bank_©VBzi 10. Ethiopia National Theatre Year: 1956/57 Architect: Antoine Laget and Henri Chomette Status: Completed Type: Theatre Style: Modernism
Ethiopia National Theater_©Henrik Berger Jørgensen The colorful facade and the Urban space near the Ethiopia National Theater_©theredbird.org The monumental lion sculpture by NMorris Calka near the Ethiopia National Theater_©ttnotes The urban corriddor of the Ethiopia National Theater_©LuckyInWaco The interior and the performance stage of the Ethiopia National Theater_©Helena Miscioscia Year: 2005 Architect: MVRDV- Bjarne Mastenbroek, and Dick Van Gameren in consultation with local architects (Rahel Shawul and Yosef Bereded) Status: Completed Type: Embassy, Diplomatic Style: Modernism with Brutalist influences (also Earthship architecture)
The entrance access view of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters The entrance access wide view of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters The reception space of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters The grand stair of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters The application of the Ethiopian landscape scheme on the roof structure of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters The facacde of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters 12. United Nations Economic Commission For Africa (The African Hall) Year: 1959-1961 Architect: Arturo Mezzedimi Status: Completed, currently under renovation Type: Office headquarters with grand hall Style: Modernism
CAD model of the UNECA building_©bec.studioafrica-hall CAD model of the UNECA building_©bec.studioafrica-hall _CAD model of the grand meeting hall of the UNECA building_©bec.studioafrica-hall The front View of the UNECA building_©theweekendedition A stained glass art work by Laurate Afework Tekle inside the UNECA building_©Eric Koch Anefo
Addis Abeba City Hall 1960s_©pinterest.com
Addis Abeba City Hall, and the Churchill Avenue from Le Gare 1964-65_©Unkowen via NArcHome Architecture
Addis Abeba City Hall aerial view_©here-and-there.no
Addis Abeba City Hall Facade_©here-and-there.no
Addis Abeba City Hall Facade computer aided model_©Ezana Girma
Addis Abeba City Hall aerial Dron shot_©The Mentalyst
Jate Kindanemihiret Church_ ©Yonas Nigussie
Jate Kindanemihiret Church_©Kirubel Getachew
Jate Kindanemihiret Church_©Kirubel Getachew
Front view of Stairs building_©Zeleke Belay
North-East view of Stairs building_©Zeleke Belay
Stairs building and the Cubocta Bridge Connection_©ketemajournal
The Cubocta Bridge_©pinterest
Cubocta Bridge Connection_©ketemajournal
Interior of Stairs building_©Zeleke Belay
Holy Trinity Cathedral_©httpageshatours.com
Holy Trinity Cathedral_©Sailko
Holy Trinity Cathedral Rear View_©Gerhard Huber
Nave of the Holy Trinity Cathedral_©A. Davey
Interior of the Holy Trinity Cathedral_©A. Davey
Bereket Tesfaye consulting architects and engineers office_©Solan Kifle
Facade View_©Solan Kifle
Side View of the building_©Nahom Teklu
Side View of the building_©Nahom Teklu
Interior View of the building_©Nahom Teklu
The Concave Stair_©Nahom Teklu
Interior View of the building_©Nahom Teklu
Ba’eta Mariam church and the mausoleum of Minilik II_©Nahom Teklu
The three roof structures of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu
Isometric View of the Baeta Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu
Side View of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu
Bronze Lion Sculptures of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu
Interior of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu
Interior of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu
Bell Tower of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu
Bell Tower of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu
Bell Tower of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu
Bell Tower of the Church-mausoleum_©Nahom Teklu
CBE Headquarter building CAD Model_©skyscrapercenter
CBE Headquarter building CAD Model_©china.org.cn
CBE Headquarter building and the Addis Abeba Skyline_©Hilena Tafesse
Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum_©Soman
Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum_©Ninaras
The memorial Sculpture near the gate of the Museum_©TravelCoordinator
The zigzag form for functions attached to the Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum_©Archnet
View of the roof of the Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum_©Archnet
Interior of the Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum_©Adam Jones
Wide birds eye-view of the National Bank of Ethiopia_©archimaps.tumblr
Wide birds eye-view of the National Bank of Ethiopia_©Unkowen
Interior View of the roof structure of the National Bank_©Sofonias Melesse
Front View of the National Bank_©VBzi
Ethiopia National Theater_©Henrik Berger Jørgensen
The colorful facade and the Urban space near the Ethiopia National Theater_©theredbird.org
The monumental lion sculpture by NMorris Calka near the Ethiopia National Theater_©ttnotes
The urban corriddor of the Ethiopia National Theater_©LuckyInWaco
The interior and the performance stage of the Ethiopia National Theater_©Helena Miscioscia
The entrance access view of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters
The entrance access wide view of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters
The reception space of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters
The grand stair of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters
The application of the Ethiopian landscape scheme on the roof structure of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters
The facacde of the Netherlands Embassy building_©Christian Richters
CAD model of the UNECA building_©bec.studioafrica-hall
CAD model of the UNECA building_©bec.studioafrica-hall
_CAD model of the grand meeting hall of the UNECA building_©bec.studioafrica-hall
The front View of the UNECA building_©theweekendedition
A stained glass art work by Laurate Afework Tekle inside the UNECA building_©Eric Koch Anefo
