Students from the Ceramics Chair at UIC Barcelona School of Architecture presented their proposals on Friday 21 November, before a panel composed of Fidel Vázquez, director of Urban Projects at Roca Sanitarios, Adrià Guardiet of 08014 Arquitectura, and Manel Peribáñez of BCQ Arquitectes. This year’s winners of the Chair are Olivia de Burgh, Andrada Dumitriu, and the team of Lucía Blanco and Marina Mañanes. 

The focus of the 22nd edition of the Barcelona Ceramics Chair, led by professor Vicenç Sarrablo and coordinated by lecturers Jordi Roviras and Cristina García, is the transformation and improvement of an existing square in the town of Sant Jordi (Castellón) as part of the Ceramic Urban Regeneration Competition CRU(E), sponsored by the Castellón Provincial Council. Throughout the course, students were encouraged to apply ceramic materials in this urban space, exploring both traditional construction solutions and innovative formats. The proposals integrated ceramic material in creative, functional and sustainable ways, contributing to the regeneration of public space with identity and sensitivity to the surroundings. 

The Barcelona Ceramics Chair, which has been running for 22 consecutive years thanks to the sponsorship of the Spanish Association of Tile and Pavement Manufacturers (ASCER), aims to foster links between architecture students and industry. In this way, future architects can direct their proposals towards the use of ceramics, innovating in new formats or developing applications and features in existing formats.