This book is a photographic journey–complemented by a collection of academic essays on related historical, architectural and artistic topics–on the origin and life of “Africa Hall” in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a building recently declared “Monument to African History,” which was donated in 1961 by Emperor Haile Selassie to the United Nations and designed by architect Arturo Mezzèdimi to serve as its continental headquarters, becoming also the birthplace, in 1963, of the Organization of African Unity. This book is a photographic journey on the origin and life of “Africa Hall” in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia–a building declared in 2015 “Monument to African History” and recently renovated–which was donated in 1961 by Emperor Haile Selassie to the United Nations. Africa Hall was designed by Arturo Mezzèdimi, a young self-taught architect, to serve as the UN’s continental headquarters and was the birthplace, in 1963, of the Organization of African Unity, now African Union. The building came to life with an inspiring story of reconciliation at a crucial moment in African history, when the continent was emerging out of the colonial period and making headway into a new era of independence and envisaged unity. Through its architectural composition and the embedded artworks, it embodied a Pan-Africanist vision and its rising ideals. Edited by the grandson of the architect and representing Italy’s contribution to the renovation project, the book sits at the crossroads of photography, architecture, history, and art and comprises an amplitude of independent essays, contributions and recollections from authors of diverse profiles. Through impacting images and short articles, it addresses events of historical relevance on a global scale, for the entire continent of Africa, at a national level for Ethiopia, and locally for the city of Addis Ababa, concluding with an introduction to the life and work of its architect. Marcello Mezzèdimi (PhD) is the grandson of Arturo Mezzèdimi, architect of Africa Hall, and currently directs the Djibouti-based activities of the MEZZ group in the fields of construction, real estate development, architectural design, and family heritage. His educational background comprises an MSc in Aerospace Engineering (La Sapienza, 2002), an MSc in Mathematical Finance (Oxford, 2011), a PhD in Applied Mathematics (La Sapienza/Luiss, 2011), and a Master in Real Estate (Bocconi, 2006). • “Africa Hall, which has been built at Our command to serve as headquarters of the ECA, stands as a permanent and inspiring symbol of the noble aspirations of the African people.” H.I.M. Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, February 6, 1961 • “The building in the background would be formally simple, harmonious, spread out, and understated in its color (for the large international organizational system), creating on the front an ampler sculptural volume with a measured modulation and a solid compact quality, vibrant with more cheerful colors, using more open, free forms (for the new creation: the assembly of the African peoples).” Arturo Mezzèdimi • “Arturo Mezzedimi’s life, like that of so many sons of empire, was high risk, but high reward. He accepted how lucky he had been and that the rewards were beyond his wildest imagination, leaving behind an unrivaled legacy for Africa and for an architectural modernism rooted in the continent’s complex experiences of modernity.” Edward Denison