NEW YORK, NY.- World Monuments Fund and Knoll announced today that the Australia-based architecture firm Architectus has won the 2026 World Monuments Fund / Knoll Modernism Prize for its dynamic conservation of the United Nations’ Historic Africa Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The acclaimed restoration reestablishes one of the most significant works of African modernism as a critical venue for diplomacy and culture.

The award will be formally presented during a special program at Modernism Week in Palm Springs, California, on February 18, 2026.

“Modern architecture captures some of the most ambitious ideas of the twentieth century, but its innovations also render these buildings vulnerable to the passage of time,” said Bénédicte de Montlaur, President and CEO of World Monuments Fund. “Our Modernism Program and the World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize were created to bring attention to these challenges and highlight exemplary preservation efforts around the world. The renewal of Africa Hall by Architectus embodies this mission, honoring the original architect’s vision while ensuring the building can continue to serve as a vital place for cultural exchange and African unity.”

Designed by Italian architect Arturo Mezzedimi and completed in 1961, Africa Hall was conceived as a diplomatic space for the continent’s nations and as the headquarters for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Within its walls, the Organization of African Unity, the precursor to the African Union, was founded in 1963. The building quickly became recognized 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. Its interior features Carrara marble, stone from Ethiopia, and three monumental stained-glass windows by celebrated Ethiopian artist Afewerk Tekle.

“Africa Hall stands as one of the most important expressions of modern architecture on the continent, a building that brought together international ideas and local identity at a pivotal moment in the region’s history of decolonization and national autonomy,” said Barry Bergdoll, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University and Chairman of the Jury. “From its placement at one of the most prominent sites in the capital of Ethiopia (the only African country never to have been colonized), the architecture combined a functionalist rationality of structure and purpose with the aura of modernism's optimism in the future. The recent restoration has allowed the clarity of Messedimi’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.”

From 2014 to 2024, the firm Architectus undertook a comprehensive renewal of Africa Hall, balancing careful research into Mezzedimi’s original design with the needs of a contemporary diplomatic institution.

The project reinstated key architectural and artistic elements, including the building’s reinforced concrete structure, mosaic finishes, and monumental stained-glass windows, which had been conserved by Tekle’s grandson. More than 500 bespoke furniture pieces by Mezzedimi were also restored and returned to their historic configurations.

In addition to the 2026 prize recipient, the jury has recognized the Umbrella House in Sarasota, Florida, United States with the Stewardship Award for Modernist Homes. This new distinction launched this year by WMF acknowledges 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.

Designed by Paul Rudolph in 1953 as one of the most important examples of Sarasota School modernism, the Umbrella House is defined by its innovative response to climate and regional building traditions. The rehabilitation was undertaken to restore the home’s integrity and reconstruct its iconic shade structure, which had been lost for decades, and was led by Hall Architects.

For nearly twenty years, WMF’s Modernism Program has drawn attention to the unique challenges facing modern architecture, which is often too recent to benefit from traditional landmark protections. It is frequently vulnerable to material deterioration, shifting urban priorities, and public misunderstanding. Through advocacy, technical assistance, and global visibility, the program has helped protect threatened mid-20th-century structures while championing exemplary conservation models.

The World Monuments Fund / Knoll Modernism Prize is a central component of this work and celebrates innovative approaches that safeguard the architectural legacy of the Modernist movement for future generations. The award received a record 73 submissions this year across 28 countries. This year’s recognition of Historic Africa Hall is the first time a site on the continent has been selected for the prize since its inception in 2008.

The 2026 World Monuments Fund / Knoll Modernism Prize will be formally presented during a special program at Modernism Week in Palm Springs on February 18, 2026. This will mark the first time the award is given outside New York. A member of Architectus will join Dr. Jonathan S. Bell, Senior Vice President for Global Preservation Strategy at World Monuments and Founding Director of the Suzanne Seal Booth Institute; Javier Ors Ausín, Senior Manager, Special Programs at World Monuments Fund; and Susan Macdonald, Head of Buildings and Sites at the Getty Conservation Institute, for a panel discussion examining the challenges of restoring a landmark of modern architecture while preserving its design intent and symbolic meaning.