William John Gilbert Godwin OBE (17 June 1928 – 12 February 2023) and Gillian Hopwood (born 27 June 1927) were British-born architects based in Nigeria. They are known for their influential architectural contributions and documentation of colonial and post-colonial Lagos.
Career
- John Godwin was born in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, England on 17 June 1928.
- Gillian Hopwood was born in Rochdale, England on 27 June 1927.
- Both studied architecture at the Architectural Association in London, graduating in 1950.
- They moved to colonial Lagos, Nigeria in 1954 and began practicing architecture together.
- In 1954, they founded their firm Godwin and Hopwood Architects, which was later renamed Godwin Hopwood Kuye (GHK) Architects Limited in 1989.
- John Godwin also served as a Professor of Architecture at the University of Lagos.
- Gillian Hopwood is noted for her architectural photography and historic preservation, documenting buildings from colonial Lagos, many now demolished.
- The couple became Nigerian citizens in 2013, after over 60 years of residency and service in Nigeria.
- John Godwin passed away on 12 February 2023, at the age of 94.
Notable Projects
- Allen and Hanbury House, Lagos
- WAEC Building, Yaba, Lagos
- Bookshop House, Lagos
- Niger House, Lagos
- Nestlé Nigeria Plc Water Plant, Lagos
- Faculty of Sciences Building, University of Lagos
- GlaxoSmith Headquarters Building, Lagos
- Boyle Street Residential Building, Lagos
- Bishop Court Building, Ikeja, Lagos
Published Works
- Sand City: Lagos at 150. Kachifo. 2012. ISBN: 978-9785108460
- A Photographer’s Odyssey: Lagos Island 1954–2014. Kachifo. 2015
- The Architecture of Demas Nwoko. Farafina, 2007