Africa Hall Refurbished: VITEC IPTV And Digital Signage Bring A Modern Vision To A Historic Landmark

The Africa Hall in Ethiopia has undergone a comprehensive refurbishment, transforming it into a modern venue equipped with exceptional facilities for delegates.

A VITEC IPTV and digital signage solution delivers dynamic and informative video content throughout the building, creating a sophisticated audiovisual experience that reflects the site’s prestige.

Located in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Africa Hall is the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Since its completion in 1961 this landmark has stood as a proud symbol of continental progress. It was here, in 1963, The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was founded.

Extensive construction work began after funding was approved in 2015, and integrator Telmaco was awarded the contract for IT, networking, AV control, sound reinforcement and real-time translation systems in 2022. The Greece-based integrator was tasked with updating the main Plenary Hall and conference venue. As part of the works, an IPTV and digital signage solution was sought to distribute video content as well as display signage across endpoints throughout the building. 

"Telmaco was seeking to integrate a high quality, easy-to-use, building-wide solution to allow its team to manage and distribute video content and signage throughout the site," said Yaron Comarov, Managing Director, VITEC. "Having worked with Telmaco before, we were delighted to suggest a complete system to cater to the requirements of this ambitious project."

It was important that the refurbishment maintained the character of the building and remained sympathetic to its original design, and great efforts were made to keep to retain its unique aspects. As part of works, the original 150m² stained-glass triptych mural (titled The Total Liberation of Africa) which encapsulates the past, present and future of Africa, was disassembled, cleaned and restored. 

Telmaco specified a range of VITEC hardware and software, including DVB gateways, encoders, Avedia Server, ArtioView and ArtioSign, and 15 IPTV signage endpoints. The system is used to acquire licensed feeds as well as local camera feeds, and power digital signage throughout the building, stretching as far as displays in the adjacent Visitor Entry Building. All video content is distributed via VITEC’s IPTV solution. 

The new IPTV system complemented a range of other works, including a complete technology overhaul of the Plenary Room, where a 13-meter-wide curved LED video wall was installed. Further supportive technologies were added to support an increased number of African Union delegations, including a conference & interpretation system, control automation, cameras and loudspeakers.  

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