Addis Ababa

City Development
and its Architecture

Prepared by Ephrem N.
 The 19th century
• 1775-1875, is a comparatively empty period as far as
Architectural development is concerned in Ethiopia
• Introduction of modern technique by immature method, ex.
un successful ambition of emperor Tewodros to have a
giant mortar /Sebastopol/
• An Italian builder, G. Naretti, worked as Architect and
builder in Mekelle. During this time the town was the
capital of Emperor Yohannes IV who reigned (1872-1889)
• He designed the Emperor’s palace and Enda Kidane
Mihret church in Mekelle
Debretabor city during
Emperor Tewodros

Sebastopol
The palace of emperor Yohannes IV
 The birth of Addis Ababa
ANKOBER
• Ankober was the original seat of Emperor Menilik
following his father Negus Haile Melekot and his grand
father Negus Sahile Silassie.
• Some of the earliest architectural types of the ‘Addis
Ababa style’ were first built in Ankober.
• Most of the palace and church builders were coming
from Gondar, as a result they introduced the use of lime
mortar as a building material
ANKOBER LODGE
 The birth of Addis Ababa
ENTOTO
• Menelik selected Entoto as his new residence and
capital, following the old tradition of earlier monarchs.
• Selecting a capital based on a prophecy or the
reestablishment of an old imperial seat was an act that
Ethiopian Emperors often used to secure their
legitimacy.
• The earliest structures built in Entoto are the churches of
St. Mary and Raguel, and Menelik’s palace.
 Raguel church built by
the Swiss Alfred Ilg

Entoto Mariam church

Menelik’s original palace

in Entoto
Tents at the side of Entoto hills
 The birth of Addis Ababa
• The hot springs of Filwoha were a major attraction to
Menelik and his wife Taitu
• Because of the hot spring and the deforestation of
Entoto for the use of fire wood the new place became
more appropriate for a permanent settlement.
• In 1880 Addis Ababa became the new capital of the
Empire.
• The structure of Addis Ababa at the beginning of the 20th
century was that of a multicentred settlement, with the
GEBBI, the ARADA and the Church compounds as the
main landmarks later the Train station.
• The great famine(1889-92) and the victory of Adowa also
made a great impact on the increasing of the population
of Addis Ababa.
 The birth of Addis Ababa
The hot spring of Filwoha at
the foot of the imperial
palace at the beginning of
the 19th century.

The hot spring of Filwoha

have curative properties
 The birth of Addis Ababa
TRADE
• Despite the fact that there were political, geographical
and military reasons for the selection of Addis Ababa as
the capital of the empire, it was trade that played the
major role in the consolidation of its future.
• Main commodities, the likes of salt, coffee, grain, ivory,
gold, cattle, sheep hides, honey butter, cotton and
incense, used to come from different parts of the country
to Addis Ababa.
• Some goods were also imported, including textile, metal
products, weapons, medicine and luxury items.
 The birth of Addis Ababa
The open air market of
Arada at the foot of the
Entoto hills in 1898

View of addis ababa from the

imperial palace showing the
scattered aspect of the
settlement 9 (c.1895)
 Mixture of nationalities
• Because of the strong trade relation between Addis
Ababa and other countries the city started to become a
home of different foreigners and local ethnic groups.
• The Swiss born Alfred Ilg was one of the most influential
one.
• Other nationalities including from Arab, India, German
Greek and Italy were participating in lots of construction
works as well.
Ethio - Djibouti Rail
way
 The heavy style
• The early public buildings of direct European influence were
often heavy and stiff intended to be grand and solid – looking
• One of the influential architects in a heavy style with much of
trachytic stone was Rudolf Haertel /German architect/ who
designed Menelik II school.
Menelik II school
St. George cathedral
designed by the Greek
architect Orphanides
 The Addis Ababa style
Characteristics
• Fanciful roof shapes
• Roofing material, thatch and corrugated iron sheets
• Green painted balconies and roofs
• The verandahs and balconies are richly decorated,
mostly with wooden ornaments and sometimes with flat
metal sheets (which is decorated by cutting out of it)
 The Addis Ababa Style
Ground floor plan
• Material-heavily with thick masonry walls
• Few and small openings
• Surrounding the heavy ground floor with a light exterior
(verandahs)
Upper story
• More light and open and Sometimes entirely of wood and
glass
• Plenty of open or glazed balconies
The Addis Ababa Style
Bitwoded haile Giorgis palace
The Addis Ababa Style
Ground floor plan

First floor plan

The Addis Ababa Style
The Addis Ababa Style
The apartment of the
imperial couple, connected
to the prayer pavilion(1890)

The modified prayer

pavilion(1910s)
The Addis Ababa Style
 The Addis Ababa Style
Origin of the Addis Ababa style
• Arabic influence was the strongest in the beginning
through craftsmen who often came from Aden.
• Emperor Menelik employed an Indian master builder,
Hajji Kawas who build the Raguel church, Gabriel church
and palace inside the old Gibbi.
• Decorated long balconies also appear in India especially
old Bombay.
 Plain forms of the 1930’s
Before world war II radical ideas were applied by Italian
architects in Ethiopia some of the characters were,
• Plain and smooth and almost undecorated surfaces
• Straight lines dominating, circular and semicircular lines
allowed but free curves avoided
• Visible building volumes of ‘abstract geometrical’ kind
achieved with smooth plaster and paint rather than with
textured natural materials
• Certain horizontals or verticals or frames emphasized by
projecting strongly but with a plain form
• Exterior colors ranging from light yellow and beige
through warm shades to dark red and brown.
Addis Ababa
Asmara
Gondar
 The Italian Fascists influence
Planning
• Several versions of a master plan for Addis Ababa were
prepared during the Italians occupation.
• Some of the ideas which continued until now are
• Moving the big market out of the centre and westwards
• Moving the main centre of the city downwards to level
ground
• Having an industrial zone in the southwest
• To have recreational areas in the southeast on the
Filwoha plain.
 The Italian Fascists influence
The master plan proposed
for the town by the Italian
Architects
 The Italian Fascists influence
Sketch by Le Corbusier
proposing a plan for the
centre of Addis Ababa
(c.1936)
 Architecture of the 1960’s
• Approximately the years 1955-68 were a boom period for
the construction industry in A.A.
• New technology was applied, with pile foundations,
vibrated concrete, factory finished surface materials,
using cranes and the likes.
• Most of the buildings were designed by different
foreigners
• All the buildings show the styles of the individual
architects rather than the styles of their countries.
 Architecture of the 1960’s
• The common design factors were, functional
requirements, adaptation to the gradually more
industrialized building methods, and use of materials
which are competitive for price and availability in the
Ethiopian market.
• Also multistory buildings automatically enforce more
discipline in the design than small and low structures.
 Architecture of the 1960’s
The leading architects and firms of the time includes,
• H. Chomette ------------ French
• Z. Enav and M. Tedros ----------Israeli and Ethiopian
• G. Hentz ----------- German
• Z. Kovachevic and I. Straus ---------Yugoslav
• A. Mezzedimi ------------- Italian from Asmara
• Norconsult ------------- Norwegian
• P.E.A. --------- Italian from Milano
• Technoexportstory ---------- Bulgarian
Some works
from the 1960’s

A. Mezzedimi
A. Mezzedimi
Henry Chomette