Rapidly growing cities like Addis Ababa pose seemingly massive and unsolvable challenges. At the same time this boom in urbanization also opens opportunities for urban innovation. Urban density, for instance, is a powerful tool for reducing a society’s ecological footprint. Concentrated growth and the use of intelligent technologies aligned with natural conditions facilitate the implementation of sustainable cities, which could have a major impact on the planet’s future. In particular, highrise projects like the new headquarters for the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia provide an opportunity to change the character of whole neighborhoods and cityscapes through sustainable planning and intelligent design. Such buildings have the power to change the urban experience, lift cultural vitality, allow sustainable operation and transform skylines – becoming a symbol of progress to the rest of the world.The project proposal presented here seeks to design a building that fulfills the programmatic requirements according to the sponsor’s needs while also engendering aesthetic, economical, social and ecological values that serve as an example for sustainable and contextual architecture and urban design in Addis Ababa.Design Team:SLIK Architekten GmbHPartners in Charge: Ramias Steinemann, Steffen Lemmerzahl, Lukas KuengProject Architects: Ivo Piazza, Maria MeszarosDesign Support:JDAW Consulting Architects and EngineersPartner in charge: Daniel AssefaProject architect: Dawit BentiLIST OF CONSULTING FIRMSTGP Todt Gmür & Partner AG – HVAC, Building SustainabilityBless Hess AG – Structural EngineeringInstitute of Safety and Security – Security and Safety Concept