Carlo Ratti unveils design for Grand Fendika Cultural Center in Addis Ababa

Italian studio Carlo Ratti Associati has revealed the design for the Grand Fendika Cultural Center in Ethiopia that will "invite the energy of Addis Ababa in".

Located in the Kazanchis neighbourhood of the Ethiopian capital, the building will become the home of the Grand Fendika Cultural Center following the demolition of its previous building in 2024.

The cultural centre will be designed by Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA) in collaboration with Grand Fendika's founder, Melaku Belay, and "local and global communities".

The Grand Fendika Cultural Center will function both as a cultural venue and a hotel, and has an open design that aims to connect the venue with the surrounding neighbourhood.

To create an indoor-outdoor feel, the stepped design features a stair-ramp that starts at ground level and leads up to a rooftop terrace, passing a number of different spaces along the way.

Grand Fendika Cultural Center will house rehearsal studios, classrooms, performance halls, artist residency spaces, a cafe, archives and an open-air stage.

"We took inspiration from the way Fendika has been naturally engaging with the city around it," studio founder Carlo Ratti said.

"Our design reflects this openness, creating a building that blends the boundaries between outside and inside; it encourages interaction and invites the energy of Addis Ababa in."

Inside the four-storey building, spaces will be linked by interwoven staircases and double-height spaces, while balconies and landings will provide more spaces for visitors to interact with the programming.

Grand Fendika Cultural Center will also feature broad, street-facing windows to open it up towards the street.

The Kazanchis neighbourhood once housed a number of music halls, many of which have now disappeared. The original Grand Fendika Cultural Center was one of the last to go when it was demolished in 2024.

However, Belay was offered the opportunity to remain and rebuild by the Addis Ababa municipality and its mayor, Adanech Abebe.

"CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati's design for Grand Fendika is wonderful news for Fendika supporters from all over the world!" Belay said.

"Carlo Ratti and his team understand Fendika's ethos of bringing people and communities together with the arts."

Ratti is the curator of this year's Venice Architecture Biennale and recently spoke to Dezeen about the event, saying "Dezeen has killed the traditional form of the biennale".

He also created the torches for this year's Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, which feature an iridescent design.

The images are courtesy of Carlo Ratti Associati.

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