Norma Merrick Sklarek: The Woman Who Left an Architectural Legacy

In an industry where gatekeeping was rife, Norma Merrick Sklarek didn't just break glass ceilings, she shattered them. As the first African American woman licensed as an architect in New York and California, her presence challenged the system from the inside - not with noise, with excellence. She mastered the technical, led the creative and still made space for those coming up behind her.

Born to Caribbean parents in the soulful city of Harlem, Sklarek grew up in a home that valued discipline and craft. Her father, a doctor, instilled discipline and rigour, while her mother, a seamstress, nurtured skill and creativity. As a child, she showed a keen interest in problem-solving and design, and despite having no role models to draw inspiration from, her father’s guidance was enough to inspire a career in architecture. Studying liberal arts at Barnard College before transferring to Columbia University, Sklarek was one of two women to graduate with a degree in architecture, and the only African American woman to do so.

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“The competition was keen, but I had a stick-to-it attitude and never gave up.”

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After graduating and receiving 19 rejection letters, she accepted a job as a junior draftsperson at the New York Department of Public Works but architecture always had her heart. In 1954, she became the first African American woman licensed as an architect in New York, and a year later, she joined Skidmore, Owings & Merril (SOM) which laid the foundations for her architectural career. From concept to construction, she gained the practical know-how to manage developments and eventually moved to Los Angeles to join Gruen Associates in 1960 to further her career.  In 1962, she passed the California license exam making her the first African American woman to be licensed in California and New York. Under Sklarek's management, she oversaw projects like the US Embassy in Tokyo, the Pacific Design Centre and Fox Hills Mall. Like many women of her time, she was largely credited as a project manager rather than a design architect. The only exception was the US Embassy in Tokyo where both herself and Cesar Pelli, were, and still are named architects. 

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“She was not allowed to express herself as a designer, but she was capable of anything. She was the complete architect.”

Marshall Purnell, former President of American Institute of Architects

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In the 1980s, Sklarek cemented her legacy as a trailblazer, becoming a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and serving as the project director of LAX Terminal One at Welton Becket Associates. She also co-founded Sklalrek Siegel Diamond which was the largest women-owned architecture firm at the time. With a multi-million-dollar portfolio spanning across educational buildings to commercial and industry projects, Sklarek was dominating in her field. After retiring in 1992, she continued advocating for young children, especially girls in STEM; and in 2008, she was honoured with the AIA’s Whitney M. Young Jr. Award for her active approach for driving social change in the industry. Just four years later, she passed away, but her legacy continues to live on.

To be known is to be seen. But to be seen is to be recognised. Today, we recognise and celebrate Norma Merrick Sklarek. Her tenacity and resilience serve as a reminder to never give up; to always back yourself and keep showing up. Even when the room wasn’t built for her, she made space - and not just for herself, but for everyone who would come next.