The Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg was established in 2015 by Lesley Lokko to provide a dedicated postgraduate facility for architectural education in Africa. This effort remains central to her long-standing commitment to decolonizing academic discourse and addressing the systemic underrepresentation of diverse perspectives within the international architectural community.
Early Education and Academic Foundations
Born in 1964 in Dundee, Lokko grew up between Ghana and Scotland. After attending private boarding school in England at age 17, she briefly studied Hebrew and Arabic at Oxford University. She eventually pursued architecture at University College London, completing her BSc in 1992 and her MArch in 1995. In 2007, she earned a PhD from the University of London.
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Her academic career spans numerous institutions, including Iowa State University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the University of Michigan, where she served as the Martin Luther King Visiting Professor. In the United Kingdom, she taught at Kingston University and the University of Westminster. In 2019, she became dean of the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York.
Literary Contributions
Alongside her architectural practice, Lokko has authored twelve novels, beginning with the 2004 bestseller Sundowners. Her bibliography includes titles such as Saffron Skies, Bitter Chocolate, and One Secret Summer. She also edited White Papers, Black Marks: Race, Culture, Architecture and served as editor-in-chief of FOLIO: Journal of Contemporary African Architecture, consistently centering themes of cultural and racial identity.
Curatorial Practice and Professional Recognition
In 2021, Lokko returned to Accra to found the African Futures Institute. That same year, she was named curator of the 18th Venice Biennale of Architecture, becoming the first black curator of the event. In 2024, she received the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects and was featured on the BBC 100 Women list.
Fast facts
- Born: 1964, Dundee
- Citizenship: Ghana
- Educated at: University College London
- Notable Role: Curator of the 18th Venice Biennale of Architecture
- Award: Royal Gold Medal (2024)
- Award: BBC 100 Women (2024)
- Key Institution: African Futures Institute
Questions readers ask
What is the African Futures Institute?
Founded by Lokko in 2021 in Accra, it is a postgraduate school of architecture and a platform for public events.
Which major architectural award did she receive in 2024?
She was awarded the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects, becoming the first African woman to receive the honor.
Achievements
- Affiliated with University of Johannesburg
- Educated at University College London
- Worked as novelist, writer and architect
