Design At Large has confirmed to artnet News that hotelier and restaurateur extraordinaire André Balazs has been appointed curator of this year’s Design At Large program at Design Miami in Basel, Switzerland (see Here Is the 2015 Exhibitor List for Art Basel in Basel). Design Miami, the global forum for design, showcases furniture, lighting and objet d’art from the world’s premiere galleries (see What Design Miami Has That Other Fairs Don’t).

The Design At Large subsection of Design Miami presents large-scale works that go beyond the traditional gallery space. Ambitious installations this year will focus on the theme of 20th and 21st century architectural expression. The hotelier is well-armed to tackle such an effort, his hotel portfolio boasts collaborative work with esteemed architects.

Balazs, whose property inventory includes the Mercer Hotel in New York, Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, the Standard hotels, and the Raleigh in Miami (a staple for Art Basel in Miami Beach revelers) had lesser-known earlier ambitions of becoming a writer and sculptor.

Balazs will surely invoke his work philosophy to guide him through his curatorial tasks: “Design is program: how a place holds you and moves you,” he once told Town and Country.

An official announcement with additional information will follow on March 16. The Design At Large program is held within an event hall designed by the architects Herzog & de Meuron from June 16—21, 2015 in Basel, Switzerland.

Design Miami invites you to submit an architecturally-driven exhibition proposal. Click here to apply and to learn more about participation.