Cersaie 2025 has confirmed that architect Elizabeth Diller, co-founder of the New York practice Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), will deliver the keynote lecture in its "Building, Dwelling, Thinking" programme. The event, moderated by architecture historian Fulvio Irace, is scheduled for Tuesday 23 September at 11 a.m. in Bologna's Palazzo dei Congressi.
© Cersaie Diller is widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in contemporary architecture. Since establishing DS+R in 1981 with Ricardo Scofidio, she has guided the studio's evolution into a 100-strong interdisciplinary team working at the intersection of architecture, urban design, art, and performance. The practice has consistently sought to expand the definition of architecture, treating built form as both a cultural expression and a medium for rethinking public space.
Her impact has been recognised with several major honours. In 1999, she and Scofidio became the first architects to receive the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, and in 2018, Time magazine named her among the world's 100 most influential people.
Among DS+R's landmark projects are the High Line, the transformation of a disused railway in Manhattan into an elevated urban park, and the renovation of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, which included Juilliard, Alice Tully Hall, and the School of American Ballet. Other projects include The Shed, a flexible cultural venue in New York, the extension of MoMA, and The Broad museum in Los Angeles.
Diller also holds a professorship at Princeton University and contributes to the United Nations Council on Urban Initiatives.
For professionals attending the Bologna event, participation in the keynote provides two educational credits, with an additional credit available through attendance at Cersaie itself.
The International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings takes place in Bologna from 22 to 26 September.
More information:
Cersaie
www.cersaie.it
