CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati has unveiled the design for the Grand Fendika Cultural Center, a new civic space in the heart of Addis Ababa, created in collaboration with dancer, cultural organizer, and Fendika’s founder, Melaku Belay. The project was developed in partnership with Fendika’s local and global communities and made possible through the financial support of TrustAfrica, a Pan African foundation headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. The project builds on decades of grassroots work to sustain indigenous Ethiopian performance traditions in a rapidly changing city.
The new building remains deliberately open to its surroundings. Its design emphasizes porous boundaries, allowing music to drift into the street, welcoming passersby, and offering glimpses into its activity through broad, street-facing windows. Rather than replacing what already exists, the building gives it space to grow, remaining deeply connected to its neighborhood and its history. With its mixed-use design, the Grand Fendika Cultural Center aims to stand as a vibrant hub for culture and international exchange in Ethiopia, bringing a hotel and a cultural venue together under one roof.
Kazanchis was once dotted with informal venues known locally as ‘azmari bets’, where musicians and poets performed improvised songs and verses. Nearly all of them have vanished in the past decade, overtaken by rapid urban development. Fendika, the last venue of its kind in the area, was revived by Melaku Belay in 2008. Under his guidance, it shifted from traditional tip-based performances to a salaried model, expanding into visual art exhibitions, literature readings, and community education. Over the years, it has earned international acclaim, receiving accolades including the Prince Claus Award, European Union Schuman Award, a Star of Italy Medal, and a French Medal for Arts and Letters.
In 2024, Fendika’s future came into question when its site was designated for redevelopment. In a gesture that affirmed the cultural value of the institution, the Addis Ababa Municipality and Mayor Adanech Abebe provided support. The administration offered Belay the opportunity to remain on-site and rebuild, encouraging a proposal that would meet the city’s evolving planning for the Grand Fendika.
The new building translates Fendika’s long-standing connection to its community into physical form, starting from the street. Urbanist Jane Jacobs famously described sidewalk life as an intricate ballet. At Fendika, the building takes that idea seriously—making the street itself part of the performance. A gently sloping stair-ramp begins at ground level and rises toward a rooftop terrace, weaving through performance halls, classrooms, rehearsal studios, artist residences, archives, a café, and an open-air stage. Double-height spaces and interwoven staircases link the four levels, allowing visitors to move organically between them, always within earshot of music or performance. Balconies and landings offer moments to pause and observe, softening the lines between formal programming and everyday life.
“We took inspiration from the way Fendika has been naturally engaging with the city around it,” said Carlo Ratti, founding partner of CRA and curator of the Biennale Architettura 2025. “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.”
“CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati’s design for Grand Fendika is wonderful news for Fendika supporters from all over the world!” Melaku Belay says, “Carlo Ratti and his team understand Fendika’s ethos of bringing people and communities together with the arts. This timely collaboration between CRA and Fendika will take our work to the next level, where the new Fendika contributes to the vibrant new city of Addis Ababa envisioned by Mayor Adanech Abebe and her team. Let’s make history together!”
The Grand Fendika joins other CRA projects exploring architecture’s potential as a public platform. AquaPraça, a floating plaza currently being built in Belém, Brazil, will be unveiled at COP30 and the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. Meanwhile, in Modena, AGO – Fabbriche Culturali transforms a former hospital complex into one of the largest cultural infrastructures in Southern Europe. Each of these projects reflects a shared belief: that architecture serves cities best when it remains open, porous, and rooted in public life.
CREDITS
CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati
Carlo Ratti, Andrea Cassi (partner-in-charge), Ina Sefgjini, Zeynep Kalaycioglu; Strategy: Luca Bussolino (partner-in-charge); Graphics: Gary Di Silvio, Pasquale Millieri
Fendika Cultural Center
Concept: Melaku Belay; Design: Abiy Tesfaye; Strategy: Abegaz Amare, Mengistu Worku, Leo Kilz, Bettina Musall, and Hui Wilcox