Padà Lagos is more than just a guesthouse. Situated in a restored 1950s tropical modernist building in Lagos, it is a living archive of architecture, memory and return. Its name, chosen by founders Folayemi Brown and Jacob Fodio Todd, draws from the Yoruba phrase padà wá (“come back”), signaling both personal homecoming and cultural reclamation. 

The building—all but abandoned when Brown and Fodio Todd took over—was designed by British Nigerian architects John Godwin and Gillian Hopwood and was indicative of a mid-20th-century architectural style shaped by the climate and postcolonial ideals. Through the careful preservation of its original features, such as the decorative cobogó cinder blocks and mahogany staircases, and thoughtful cultural programming, Padà reanimates the building as a space for dialogue, community and reflection. In doing so, as Brown explains here, it affirms restoration as an act of resistance amid a city shaped by constant change.

Jareh Das: What sparked the idea for Padà Lagos?

Folayemi Brown: It was a matter of timing. Jacob and I were both reaching the end of separate chapters and felt ready to collaborate again. We set aside a week in early 2022 to explore ideas, and Padà emerged almost immediately and fully formed. It felt like the ideal vessel for our shared experiences, values and ambitions. That conviction has only deepened with time.