ZIGURAT celebrates 25 years of history with an emotional gala

On 18 June, ZIGURAT Institute of Technology celebrated its 25th anniversary with a commemorative gala at Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona. The event brought together the entire team, professors, collaborators, Alumni and Ambassadors for an evening dedicated to recognising the people and organisations that have accompanied the institution’s evolution since its origins.

The celebration formed part of ZIGURAT’s 25th anniversary under the message “25 years transforming tomorrow” and highlighted the value of its international community. Hosted by Eugenia Parra, Alumni Manager, and Jaime del Castillo from the Marketing team, the gala combined institutional speeches, recognitions, awards and the screening of a commemorative video about the institution’s history.

A look back at ZIGURAT’s origins

One of the first moments of the evening was the speech by Bernabé Farré, founder of ZIGURAT, who shared a retrospective look at the origins of the institution and the vision that drove its development. As the founder explained, “ZIGURAT was born to meet a market need and give architects and engineers the training they needed to use new software”, and it grew with the support of a team that knew how to break new ground: “The success of this company is largely due to the fact that I believed in young people with highly innovative ideas for the time.”

The gala sought to recognise that starting point: a way of understanding education linked to technology, shared knowledge and a new way of learning. Since its beginnings, ZIGURAT has grown alongside a community of professionals, lecturers, companies and institutions that have helped consolidate its academic offering in architecture, engineering, construction and digital transformation.

Along this journey, the institution wanted to highlight in particular its relationship with CYPE, a company linked to ZIGURAT’s history since its early years. Pau F. Aldomà, CEO of ZIGURAT, dedicated a few heartfelt words to this software company, which has grown alongside the technological institute, and Bernabé Farré then presented an award to Antonio Castell, President of CYPE, in gratitude for a strong and lasting collaboration that has formed part of the institution’s roots and evolution.

Commitment, academic excellence and community

The gala continued with a tribute to the ZIGURAT team and, in particular, to the institution’s longest-serving professionals, some of whom have been with the company for more than 20 years. They were recognised for their dedication, commitment and contribution to the project over the years.

This recognition connected with one of the central messages of the evening: ZIGURAT’s history cannot be explained only through its programmes or academic milestones, but also through the people who have helped shape it and who today make up the ZIGURAT ecosystem, formed by more than 20,000 professionals around the world.

Through this gesture, ZIGURAT wanted to highlight the role of those who have experienced from within the institution its changes, moments of growth and major transformations.

Awards for academic excellence and commitment to the community

The ceremony included the presentation of several awards linked to ZIGURAT’s academic and professional community.

The Best ZIGURAT Professor award recognised the work of the teaching staff, one of the pillars of the institution’s learning experience. Alessandro Ferrari, Academic Director of ZIGURAT, presented this recognition to the lecturer chosen by the students themselves. The award was given to Carlos Conejo, lecturer on the Spanish Máster en Gestión de Proyectos de Construcción, for his contribution as a teacher and for his ability to support, inspire and guide students in their learning.

Academic excellence also had its place with the Best Final Master’s Project award, presented by Vicki Reynolds. The award was given to Sarah Sakr, Maged Elhamady and Nuno Mariano, who accepted it on behalf of the winning team behind the Final Master’s Project of the Master’s in Global BIM Management.

Meanwhile, Eugenia Parra, Alumni Manager at ZIGURAT, presented the Best ZIGURAT Ambassador award to Hossam Abdulaziz. This award recognised his commitment as an Ambassador and his role in connecting the ZIGURAT community on an international scale.

Bernabé Farré’s legacy and a look towards the future

The final part of the ceremony was led by Pau F. Aldomà, CEO of ZIGURAT, who shared a reflection on the institution’s present and upcoming challenges. His speech connected the school’s history with its current stage, marked by internationalisation, technological innovation and the need to continue training professionals capable of leading the transformation of the AECO sector.

During his speech, Pau F. Aldomà dedicated heartfelt words to his parents, Bernabé Farré and Obdulia Aldomà, founders of ZIGURAT, and presented his father with a photographic collage as a tribute to the vision that gave rise to the project and to the legacy that has accompanied the institution’s evolution over these 25 years. The CEO’s speech was undoubtedly one of the most meaningful moments of the evening and gave way to the screening of a commemorative video marking ZIGURAT’s 25 years, which revisited some of the school’s main milestones and reflected the value of a story built by many people.

To close the ceremony, the hosts unveiled for the first time the new ZIGURAT People logo, the concept that represents the values of this community united by talent, learning, enthusiasm and the desire to make the world a more connected, human-centred and resilient place through architecture, engineering and technology.

After the ceremony, guests continued the celebration with a networking cocktail on the outdoor terrace of Fundació Joan Miró while enjoying the sunset over Barcelona. With this gala, ZIGURAT celebrates not only a twenty-five-year journey, but also a way of understanding education: connected to industry, open to the world and focused on transforming tomorrow from today.