Foros 2018. Toni Cumella: “New ceramics”.
This year marks a new edition of the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture’s Foroslecture series, a can’t-miss event for members of the architecture community, the new edition of which has been organised in cooperation with BB Construmat. Between 26 February and 7 May, six industry professionals and academics will pay the University’s Aula Magna a visit to share their views on the concept of innovation in architecture.
Under the title Plural Innovations, this new edition will underscore the need to expand the field of architecture. In this regard, innovation emerges as the first element in the expansion process, from an open, plural perspective, pushing the discipline to transcend its traditional limits. This year, Foros 2018 has been co-organised by School lecturer Miquel Lacasta, together with Marc Chalamanch and Carmen Santana, the three members of the studio Archikubik.
On 9 April, Catalan ceramist Toni Cumella will give a lecture on the latest developments in the field of ceramics materials and their application to the construction and renovation of buildings and architectural heritage. The lecture is sponsorized by Neolith and the lecturer will be introduced by Andreas Manero, Marketing Manager of the company.
Toni Cumella’s workshop was founded by his grandfather, Josep Regàs, a potter from Breda, a town with a long tradition of ceramics workshops. Later, his son, Antoni Cumella, moved to Granollers and transformed the family workshop into a factory at the service of architecture, as well as a place to produce his own renowned creations. Toni Cumella, the third generation, studied industrial engineering and photography and learned the trade working alongside his father from a young age.
Today, Toni Cumella boasts an extensive catalogue, in which his most notable work corresponds to the restoration and renovation of architectural heritage. In this regard, he has taken part in projects aimed at restoring such significant sites as Hospital de Sant Pau, Palau de la Música and Parc Güell in Barcelona.
Furthermore, his work with teams of architects on contemporary, avant-garde projects such as the Zaragoza Exhibition Centre (with Nieto-Sobejano), the Terrassa Court of Justice (by Josep Maria Botey), the Lisbon Oceanarium (by Pedro Campos Costa) or the Botín Art Centre in Santander (by Renzo Piano) has proven as or more significant.
In 2016, Toni Cumella was named honorary member of the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva (Switzerland). He has also made outstanding contributions to the field of teaching, with a long-standing partnership with the Architectural Association of London and involvement in the ASCER Ceramics Chair, which is linked to several Catalan faculties of Architecture.
