Addis Ababa

City Development

and its Architecture

Prepared by Ephrem N.

• 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

The 19th century

Sebastopol

Debretabor city during

Emperor Tewodros

The palace of emperor Yohannes IV

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

The birth of Addis Ababa

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

Menelik’s original palace

in Entoto

Entoto Mariam church

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)

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

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