VALENCIA, SPAIN -- Currently one of the foremost names in international architecture, the innovative, audacious and adventurous Bjarke Ingels will be bringing the magic of his architecture to the next edition of Cevisama, the international fair for ceramic tiles and bathrooms, which is scheduled to take place from February 3 to 7, 2020 at Feria Valencia in Valencia, Spain.

The Danish architect, who founded BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), will be taking part in CevisamaLab’s Architecture and Design Forum, Cevisama’s cultural initiative that brings the leading names of the moment in architecture and interior design together every year.

At just 45 years old, Ingels has revolutionized architecture, putting his personal stamp on museums and skyscrapers. His renowned works include The Twist, a bridge-cum-vista point-cum-museum in an impressive sculptural, twisted shape, which just opened its doors in Kistefos park in Norway; the pyramid-shaped residential building he designed in Manhattan (West 57th St.); the Lego House in Billund, Denmark; and the Serpentine Gallery Pavillion in London, England. The programmatic and technically innovative nature of his buildings, and his mindfulness regarding available resources, have made Ingels the leader of a focus on sustainable hedonism in architecture that combines environmental and social concerns.

He has received many distinctions such as the Danish Crown Prince’s Culture Prize in 2011, the Golden Lion at the 2004 Venice Bienale and the ULI Prize for Excellence in 2009. In 2011 The Wall Street Journal designated him innovative architect of the year and in 2016 he appeared on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. He also combines an academic career with his professional practice, teaching at universities including Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Rice.

The curator of Cevisama’s lecture program, renowned architect ad critic, Luis Fernández-Galiano, describes BIG’s driver and creative director: “By pollinating the Scandinavian world’s collective conscience with the intrepid individuality of the Anglo-Saxon world, Ingels has fused Copenhagen and New York together in a happy synthesis that also combines care for the environment, extolled by most Europeans, with all-American business pragmatism whilst at the same time combining environmental and economic dimensions in a way that few architectural practices have managed to do.”

Cevisama president, Manuel Rubert, has voiced the organization’s satisfaction at the Danish architect’s involvement in the fair. “From February 3 to 7, Valencia will be revealing the latest trends, developments and innovations in architecture and interior design to the world,” he said. “And to do this we need not just to have the best products on display, which we certainly will have, but we also need to have professionals on board whose presence makes ours an unmissable event for specifiers on all five continents. The presence of BIG will definitely help Cevisama achieve that status.”

Rubert confirmed that Bjarke Ingels “is the first great name in architecture, but not the only one” to have signed up to take part in the Architecture and Design Forum. “This is a top-level trade fair and the last details are currently being finalized,” he said. “Next year’s edition is set, one again, to be bigger and better than before in terms of content, the program and the fair’s international positioning.”

For details of the lecture, along with the rest of the program, visit www.cevisama.com.