“We are incredibly proud to have received the Inavation Award 2025 for our work on the UN Africa Hall renovation, a project that embodies innovation, excellence, and dedication to audiovisual transformation. This achievement fuels our drive to keep pushing the boundaries of AV technology.”
Barco video wall brings Africa Hall in Addis Ababa up to modern technology standards
Ethiopia · 2025
Telmaco S.A., a leading AV integrator and longstanding Barco partner, was selected to bring the iconic Africa Hall in Addis Ababa up to modern technology standards. For the conference hall renovation, Telmaco provided a complete audiovisual system, including a curved LED video wall from Barco. The new plenary hall was inaugurated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on October 21, 2024.
Barco solution
- 18x6 TruePix TP1.9 video walls
- 3 Infinipix INP-100 processors
Highlights
- Crisp images on ergonomic LED overview displays
- Immersive 13m wide curved set-up
- Smooth and seamless viewing thanks to Infinipix processors
The Africa Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is a landmark of historical importance. The building was inaugurated in 1961 as the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). It also has deep symbolic value as the birthplace of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the precursor to the African Union (AU).
To preserve the hall’s rich history for future generations, renovation works started in 2015. The renovation project was needed to maintain the hall’s historical and cultural integrity while upgrading it to meet contemporary standards. Included in the renovation were state-of-the-art audio-visual systems and other technologies to support an increased number of delegations from the African Union, which had grown to more than 54 member states.
Superior colors in bright environment
Telmaco was selected to upgrade the plenary hall up to modern technology standards, thanks to the company’s extensive experience in designing and installing Barco video walls across all current technologies (LED, DLP or LCD). Telmaco won the contract in 2022 after an international tender for the design, implementation and maintenance of the Audiovisual and Conference systems.
The operators also maintain safe operating conditions and respond quickly to emergency situations. In addition, they optimize the efficiency of the systems, minimize energy consumption and emissions, and coordinate communication between different departments and external parties. This places the control room at the heart of HVC's sustainable and safe business operations.
Telmaco proposed a 13m wide Barco TruePix LED wall in an 18 by 6 matrix. The video wall is driven by three Barco Infinipix INP-100 processors, each responsible for 6x6 FHD section of the LED wall, so they can display three different FHD inputs if needed.
“LED is the ideal technology for this type of environment,” says Vassilis Kyriazis, COO of Telmaco’s Audiovisual Division. “The plenary hall has many windows that allow bright light to come in, but even in these challenging conditions, Barco’s LED video wall and Infinipix® image processor manage to offer a unique viewing experience, with superior image quality and colors.”
Curved video wall
The 13m wide video wall has a curved shape, which offers a great immersive viewing experience.
The renovation also makes the control room future-proof. There is now more space for new installations and workstations, which was not possible before.
“Typically, keeping the inter-screen gaps of a curved LED wall as small as possible is challenging compared to straight video walls,” says Vassilis Kyriazis. “Luckily, thanks to Barco’s unique mechanical concept for precise installation, we could make it work. The curved wall now offers the conference hall audience a seamless viewing experience.”
Through these innovations, the renovation of the Africa Hall has transformed the space into a modern conference facility. The careful blending of historical preservation with modern functionality ensures that the hall will continue to serve its essential role in promoting dialogue and cooperation among nations.
Award winning technology
Telmaco’s contribution to the Africa Hall was announced as the 2025 Inavation Awards Project Winner in the category ‘Government & Public Sector’. The awards organized by AV trade magazine InAVate! celebrate groundbreaking advancements across the AV industry.
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