The 2024 Royal Gold Medal for Architecture has been announced, celebrating Professor Lesley Lokko as its recipient. The accolade, which is awarded annually by the RIBA to recognise exceptional contributions to the built environment field, will be presented this year to Lokko for her work to 'democratise architecture', hailed by the 2024 RIBA Honours Committee as a 'clarion call for equitable representation in policies, planning, and design that shape our spaces'.
Lesley Lokko: 2024 Royal Gold Medal for Architecture winner
Lokko has had a busy few years, full of fruitful activity in all her fields of interest. The Ghanaian-Scottish architect, educator, author and curator successfully delivered the highly acclaimed 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, and her main show, themed Laboratory of the Future; she also worked on launching the Africa Futures Institute, a new architecture research institute and school, which is currently being set up from scratch.
She has also been working on fiction writing and academic work in parallel. Her numerous existing achievements and recognitions include an OBE (awarded in 2023), and the RIBA Annie Spink Award for Excellence in Architectural Education (2020).
'Not only is Lokko the first African woman to receive this honour, but she also now takes her place among architecture’s defining figures,' states the 2024 Royal Gold Medal selection committee, which was chaired by RIBA president Muyiwa Oki and comprised of 2023 Royal Gold Medal recipient Yasmeen Lari; architect and senior partner at RSHP Ivan Harbour; head of school and chief executive at the London School of Architecture Neal Shasore; and architect and partner at Walters & Cohen, Cindy Walters.
On hearing the news, Lokko said: 'It came as such a surprise to me. This was never on the cards. I’m delighted to be considered alongside some of the great past winners of the Royal Gold Medal. Although this is a personal award, this isn’t merely a personal triumph, this is a testament to the people and organisations I have worked with that share my goals.
'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 hope.'
RIBA president Muyiwa Oki said: 'A fierce champion of equity and inclusion in all aspects of life, Lesley Lokko’s progressive approach to architecture education offers hope for the future – a profession that welcomes those from all walks of life, considers the needs of our environment, and acknowledges a broad range of cultures and perspectives. A visionary agent of change, Lesley has dedicated her life to championing these values, not only through academic endeavours, but through her work as an author and curator. She remains a humble revolutionary force, with her ambition and optimism etching an indelible mark on the global architectural stage.'
The 2024 Royal Gold Medal will be formally presented to Lesley Lokko in London on 2 May 2024.
-
Marylebone restaurant Nina turns up the volume on Italian diningAt Nina, don’t expect a view of the Amalfi Coast. Do expect pasta, leopard print and industrial chic
-
Tour the wonderful homes of ‘Casa Mexicana’, an ode to residential architecture in Mexico‘Casa Mexicana’ is a new book celebrating the country’s residential architecture, highlighting its influence across the world
-
Jonathan Anderson is heading to Dior MenAfter months of speculation, it has been confirmed this morning that Jonathan Anderson, who left Loewe earlier this year, is the successor to Kim Jones at Dior Men
-
This 19th-century Hampstead house has a raw concrete staircase at its heartThis Hampstead house, designed by Pinzauer and titled Maresfield Gardens, is a London home blending new design and traditional details
-
An octogenarian’s north London home is bold with utilitarian authenticityWoodbury residence is a north London home by Of Architecture, inspired by 20th-century design and rooted in functionality
-
What is DeafSpace and how can it enhance architecture for everyone?DeafSpace learnings can help create profoundly sense-centric architecture; why shouldn't groundbreaking designs also be inclusive?
-
The dream of the flat-pack home continues with this elegant modular cabin design from KotoThe Niwa modular cabin series by UK-based Koto architects offers a range of elegant retreats, designed for easy installation and a variety of uses
-
Are Derwent London's new lounges the future of workspace?Property developer Derwent London’s new lounges – created for tenants of its offices – work harder to promote community and connection for their users
-
Showing off its gargoyles and curves, The Gradel Quadrangles opens in OxfordThe Gradel Quadrangles, designed by David Kohn Architects, brings a touch of playfulness to Oxford through a modern interpretation of historical architecture
-
A Norfolk bungalow has been transformed through a deft sculptural remodellingNorth Sea East Wood is the radical overhaul of a Norfolk bungalow, designed to open up the property to sea and garden views
-
A new concrete extension opens up this Stoke Newington house to its gardenArchitects Bindloss Dawes' concrete extension has brought a considered material palette to this elegant Victorian family house
