Manny Ita
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has bestowed the 2024 RIBA Royal Gold Medal upon 60-year-old Ghanaian-Scottish architect Lesley Lokko. This historic recognition marks Lokko as the first woman of African descent to receive the Gold Medal since its establishment in 1848. Her achievement follows last year’s winner Yasmeen Lari, making them the first-ever consecutive solo female Royal Gold Medalists in RIBA history.
Lesley Lokko is celebrated for her impactful work in promoting justice causes and striving to “democratize architecture.” Over the past two decades, she has been a vocal advocate for increasing representation of people of color and other under-represented backgrounds in the field. In 2021, Lokko founded the African Futures Institute (AFI) in Accra, Ghana, focusing on the intricate relationship between architecture, identity, and race.
Throughout her influential career, including roles as the dean of the CCNY Spitzer School of Architecture and founding director of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg, Lokko has left a lasting mark on the architectural landscape. Her contributions extend globally, with teaching experiences in the UK, US, and Africa. The RIBA Honours Committee commends Lokko for her “clarion call for equitable representation in policies, planning, and design that shape our spaces.”
Notably, Lokko was awarded an OBE for her services to architecture and education in 2023 and achieved the historic position of the first black curator of the International Architecture Biennale in Venice.
Muyiwa Oki, RIBA President, describes Lokko as a “visionary agent of change” and a “humble revolutionary force,” recognizing her progressive approach to architecture education that champions equity and inclusion. Lokko expressed her delight and surprise upon receiving the award, attributing it to the collaborative efforts of the people and organizations that share her goals.
Lesley Lokko is set to formally receive the Royal Gold Medal 2024 at an event scheduled for May 2 at RIBA’s headquarters in London.
Read the full jury citation below:
Professor Lesley Lokko is an educator, author, and curator. A luminary architect and renaissance figure who has etched an indelible mark on the global stage. For over two decades Lokko has been rightly recognised for her groundbreaking contributions to architectural education, dialogue, and discourse from a Global South perspective – relentlessly pursuing inclusivity and equity in the field. Not only is Lokko the first African woman to receive this honour, but she also now takes her place among architecture’s defining figures.
One of her crowning achievements is the Architectural Futures Institute (AFI) nestled in Accra, Ghana – an architectural education centre, that reimagines Africa as a crucible of the future, where novel urban forms are collaboratively conceived. The AFI stands as a beacon, acknowledging the contributions of women from the African diaspora. It extends an invitation to embrace opportunities and exalts courageous and creative voices.
A guiding force for creativity, Lokko’s curatorial prowess shone brilliantly in her recent stewardship of the Venice Biennale 2023, a groundbreaking event that united African and Africa-related architectural expressions for the first time. It was a platform where emerging and established African architects and designers converged to create ‘The Laboratory of the Future’, a six-part exhibition igniting the discourse on decarbonisation and decolonization. Under Lokko’s curatorship Nigerian artist, designer, architect and master builder, Demas Nwoko was the first Black person to be awarded the prestigious Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the International Venice Biennale.
Her pivotal role on the board of the pioneering New Architecture Writers program in London, dedicated to supporting “professionals of colour who are under-represented across design, journalism and curation”, underscores her commitment to diversity. Remarkably, Lokko’s seminal work White Papers Black Marks was published over two decades ago in 2000. In 2020, she was awarded the RIBA Annie Spink Award for Excellence in Architectural Education for her impactful leadership, passion and an unwavering commitment to architectural education and research, in particular her lectures and published works focusing on the subjects of race, identity and architecture.
While Lokko’s impact extends beyond architecture, this honour acknowledges her prodigious contributions to the architectural domain. Her work champions diverse approaches to practice, and pushes the boundaries of what architecture is, and what it can achieve.
She ardently advocates for individuals from all walks of life to partake in the tapestry of architecture; and her interpretation of architecture as culture, an art form that fosters public dialogue centred on ideas and content rather than only function, democratises architecture, making it accessible to all.
Lokko’s work is a clarion call for equitable representation in policies, planning, and design that shape our living spaces. Her pedagogical footprint spans diverse cultural landscapes, from the United States and the United Kingdom to South Africa and Ghana.This medal honours Lokko’s resounding voice. It is a testament to her unwavering commitment to advancing architectural education and redressing imbalances by amplifying the voices of underrepresented people in shaping our built environment.
