Alongside the exhibition, Cersaie has been offering a high-profile cultural programme for years: ‘Building, Living, Thinking’, an exhibition dedicated to contemporary architecture and design.
The conferences host internationally renowned architects and designers who present their projects and share their vision of the role of architecture in today’s society. No fewer than 11 Pritzker Prize winners, the world’s most prestigious award for architecture, have taken to the stage at Cersaie: Shigeru Ban, Tom Mayne, Renzo Piano, Kazuyo Sejima, Eduardo Souto de Moura, Rafael Moneo, Toyo Ito, Glenn Murcutt, Norman Foster, Richard Rogers and Riken Yamamoto.
In addition to offering an opportunity to meet the great masters, the conferences also represent a training opportunity for professionals:
1 Professional Training Credit (CFP) can be acquired by visiting the fair and proceeding with self-certification on the im@teria portal, attaching the entrance ticket.
2 or more CFPs can be obtained by participating in conferences, seminars and training courses, with registration by signing in and out.
Cersaie thus confirms its status not only as an international showcase for design and ceramics, but also as a place for reflection and cultural growth for the architectural community.
The Programme:
- 23 September 2025, 11:00 a.m. – Lectio magistralis: Elizabeth Diller
Europauditorium, Palazzo dei Congressi
On Tuesday 23 September at 11 a.m., at the Palazzo dei Congressi, Cersaie will host a keynote lecture by Elizabeth Diller, founder of the New York-based firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, introduced by architecture historian Fulvio Irace. Visionary and pioneering, Diller has designed iconic projects such as the High Line and Lincoln Centre in New York and has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. - 24 September 2025, 11:00 a.m. – Lecture by Lina Malfona
Service Centre – ‘The Square’
Lina Malfona presents her vision of architecture that interacts with the landscape, combining compositional rigour with scenographic lightness. The meeting will be introduced by architecture historian Fulvio Irace. Her works, characterised by suspended porticoes and structures that frame the landscape, transform living into an experience that is both sensory and reflective. - 24 September 2025, 2.30pm – Lecture by Gloria Cabral
Service Centre – ‘The Square’
Brazilian-Paraguayan architect Gloria Cabral will give a speech on sustainable architecture and restoration at Cersaie. Her vision combines spatial sensitivity and respect for resources, promoting local materials and Paraguayan craftsmanship. Her projects arise from real needs and interact with the geography of the place. Cabral promotes ingenious architecture that transforms simple materials and debris into meaningful structures. It is a creative approach that interprets restoration as a tool for a sustainable and responsible architectural future. - 25 September 2025, 11:00 a.m. – Lecture by CAN RAN arquitectura
Service Centre – ‘The Square’
The lecture highlights the innovative approach of Portuguese architects Catarina and Rita Almada Negreiros, internationally renowned for their creative use of ceramic tiles.
In their projects, azulejos become integral elements that transform spaces, adding depth, rhythm and architectural identity. - 25 September 2025, 2.30pm – Lecture by Ángela García de Paredes
Service Centre – ‘The Square’
On Thursday 25 September at 2.30 pm, at The Square in the Bologna exhibition centre, Ángela García de Paredes will give her keynote lecture as part of Cersaie’s ‘Building, Living, Thinking’ programme. Founder of the Madrid-based studio Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos, García de Paredes will share with the public her vision of architecture that combines research, teaching and professional practice. - 26 September 2025, 10:00 a.m. – Lecture – Reverse Lesson: ‘A room for me’
Europauditorium Palazzo dei Congressi
At Cersaie 2025, historian Fulvio Irace and architect Francesco Librizzi will lead the traditional ‘Lezione alla Rovescia’ (Reverse Lesson) for secondary school students.
The meeting, entitled ‘A Room for Me’, explores the theme of domestic intimacy in the age of social media. Students will actively participate, taking to the stage to talk with the speakers and reflect on how the bedroom, once a private refuge, can now be exposed online. The lecture explores whether and how it is possible to preserve intimacy in the home.
