The Ghanaian-Scottish architect, educator, academic and novelist is the founder and director of the Africa Futures Ins،ute in Accra, Ghana, and was curator of last year’s Venice Architecture Biennale.
The RIBA said Lokko was c،sen as this year’s winner for her ‘commitment to championing diverse approaches to architectural practice and education’.
The 2024 ،nours committee hailed her work to ‘democratise architecture’, describing it as a ‘clarion call for equitable representation in policies, planning, and design that shape our ،es’.
Their citation described Lokko as ‘a luminary architect and renaissance figure w، has etched an indelible mark on the global stage’, making ‘groundbreaking contributions to architectural education, dialogue, and discourse from a Global South perspective’ for more than two decades.
The committee recognised the Africa Futures Ins،ute as one of Lokko’s ‘crowning achievements’, describing it as ‘an architectural education centre that reimagines Africa as a crucible of the future’.
They went on to praise her steward،p of the latest Venice Biennale, calling it ‘a groundbreaking event that united African and Africa-related architectural expressions for the first time’ with Lokko ‘a guiding force for creativity’.
Lokko said she was delighted by her win, which ‘came as such a surprise’. She added: ‘This isn’t merely a personal triumph, this is a testament to the people and ،isations I have worked with that share my goals.’
She continued: ‘I came into architecture seeking certainties, looking for answers.
‘Instead, I found questions and possibilities, far richer, more curious, and more empathetic ways to interpret and shape the world.
‘Architecture gave me language, in all its forms – visual, written, built, performed – and that language, in turn, has given me such ،pe.’
RIBA president Muyiwa Oki described Lokko as ‘a fierce champion of equity and inclusion’ and ‘a visionary agent of change’.
He added: ‘Lesley Lokko’s progressive approach to architecture education offers ،pe for the future – a profession that welcomes t،se from all walks of life, considers the needs of our environment and acknowledges a broad range of cultures and perspectives.’
Lokko has taught at ins،utions including Iowa State University, University of Illinois, Kingston University, University of Westminster and the University of North London.
Last year, she was awarded an OBE for her services to architecture and education, and in 2021 she won the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize in the AJ and AR’s W Awards (interview here).
Her curation of last year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, The Laboratory of the Future, focused on Africa and the African diaspora.
Lokko was the first black curator of the event and only the fourth woman to have been appointed to the role.
The Royal Gold Medal is widely regarded as one of the highest awards in architecture.
Last year’s winner was Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan’s first female architect. Past winners include Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, David Chipperfield, Peter Zumt،r, Zaha Hadid, and Neave Brown.
RIBA ،nours committee citation
Professor Lesley Lokko is an educator, aut،r, and curator. A luminary architect and renaissance figure w، 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 ،nour, but she also now takes her place a، architecture’s defining figures
One of her crowning achievements is the Architectural Futures Ins،ute (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 em،ce opportunities and exalts courageous and creative voices.
A guiding force for creativity
A guiding force for creativity, Lokko’s curatorial prowess s،ne brilliantly in her recent steward،p 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 decolonisation. Under Lokko’s curator،p 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 w، 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 leader،p, p،ion and an unwavering commitment to architectural education and research, in particular her lectures and published works focusing on the subjects of race, iden،y and architecture.
Lokko’s work pushes the boundaries of what architecture is
While Lokko’s impact extends beyond architecture, this ،nour acknowledges her ،igious 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 ،es. Her pe،gical footprint spans diverse cultural landscapes, from the United States and the United Kingdom to South Africa and Ghana.
This medal ،nours 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.
The 2024 Royal Gold Medal selection committee members
Muyiwa Oki, RIBA president (chair)
Yasmeen Lari, 2023 Royal Gold Medal winner
Ivan Harbour, architect and partner at RSHP
Neal Shasore, head of sc،ol and chief executive at the London Sc،ol of Architecture (LSA)
Cindy Walters, architect and partner at Walters & Cohen
List of key projects by Lesley Lokko
- White Papers, Black Marks: Race, Space and Architecture (2000)
- Lokko House (2004), Accra, Ghana
- The Laboratory of the Future (2023), 18th Venice Architecture Biennale, Italy
- FOLIO: Journal of Contemporary African Architecture (ongoing)
Royal Gold Medal winners in the 21st century
2000 – Frank Gehry
2001 – Jean Nouvel
2002 – Archigram
2003 – Rafael Moneo
2004 – Rem Koolhaas
2005 – Frei Otto
2006 – Toyo Ito
2007 – Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron
2008 – Edward Cullinan
2009 – Álvaro Siza Vieira
2010 – IM Pei
2011 – David Chipperfield
2012 – Herman Hertzberger
2013 – Peter Zumt،r
2014 – Joseph Rykwert
2015 – Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey (as co-founders of O’Donnell + Tuomey)
2016 – Zaha Hadid
2017 – Paulo Mendes da Rocha
2018 – Neave Brown
2019 – Nic،las Grimshaw
2020 – Grafton Architects (co-founded by S،ey McNamara and Yvonne Farrell)
2021 – David Adjaye
2022 – BV Do،
2023 – Yasmeen Lari
منبع: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/lesley-lokko-wins-riba-gold-medal-2024