2022 Europe Study Travel Abroad Program

Architecture field trip

Architecture field trips, historically coined the Grand Tour, were established in the 17^th century and tailored to British aristocrats in pursuit of refining their liberal arts education through a visit to continental Europe. For students tutored under a mentor, favored destinations such as Italy and Greece introduced the Classical world of antiquity to those who were expected to be leaders of their country, especially in that time of the beginning of “greater political or economic cooperation among states and nations.”

Image 1: miniature metal building collection (author’s collection)

Generations of young men (at that time it was always men) took part in this British ritual, which in the 18^thcentury extended to Europeans, in this era when architects were becoming trained in a more formal academic setting—such as the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the Ecole Polytechnique compared to medieval guild traditions.

These architectural students saw immediate benefits to visiting historic precedence within the metropolises of Antiquity such as Rome, Pompei, Herculaneum, and Athens. The expansion of intellectual and visual horizons was often accompanied by the prestigious award of the Prix de Rome, which was created to host in Rome students of the arts including sculptors as well as scholars. From 1720 this included architects.

Grand Tour and the Prix de Rome

Far too many well-known architects took part in the Grand Tour to name, some at times, were also awarded the Prix de Rome. Three who showcase the Grand Tour for me, are Henri Labrouste (1801-1875), Louis I. Kahn (1901-1074), and Le Corbusier (1887-1955). The latter being an icon of the 20^th century whose travel carnets entitled Le Voyage d’Orient,were only published in 1965, fifty-one years after his 1911 trip. Le Corbusier’s six-month journey led him from Dresden to the edge of Asia (Istanbul), returning through Greece and Italy to his native Switzerland. The countless sketches by all three of the aforementioned architects showcase in their studious hand and mind an ability to conceptualize the essence of what they had observed; soaking up the past to build their own vision for a modern architecture and urbanism.

Pedagogical strategy

This tradition carries on today in most architecture programs throughout the world, and at the institution where I currently teach, one of our signature programs—Europe Study Abroad Fall Travel—has been reinstated after a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This past September, I was thrilled to share leadership with a colleague of a two-week segment of our own Grand Tour. The below travel description, itinerary, and photo reportage traces our journey with the group of talented architecture students.

Following a first segment of travel through Northern Europe led by other colleagues and a week of personal travel and research for the students, our proposal—which unfolded almost as initially conceived with the necessary hiccups (misplaced sketch books, lost and misplaced wallet)—intended to provide a balanced approach between key architecture figures that nurtured and referenced each other in time, with seminal buildings, landscapes, cities, museums, culture and art; all part of the sine qua non of any integrative education for architecture students.

Between personal affinities favored by us as faculty, and the importance of site visits to architecture wonders—content most often introduced in history and theory courses—we believed that an enriched travel opportunity would secure for students a new appreciation of the many wonders that constitute the discipline both historically AND as a new métier of an architecture of the 21st century.

Extra curricular…

Finally, for an authentic cultural experience to truly take place during such the short period of our two week journey, instances for autobiographical and small group discoveries were built into the students’ daily schedule, moments when they could learn from sipping a hot chocolate at Café Florian located in Venice’s Piazza San Marco (the drawing room of Europe according to Napoleon), take a much anticipated gondola ride between narrow canals, or get happily lost in the maze of narrow streets of the Serenissima. Stepping into yet another culture they partook in a traditional yet extraordinarily expensive meal at a Zurich McDonald’s, shopped early morning for unnecessary items at the famous flee market at Vienna’s Nashmarkt, dressed up for a night of classical music and a memorable Opera performance.

Later they dropped in unannounced on Graz’s annual festivity (pleading to stay longer). Of course, there was also banal snacking, regrouping one’s thoughts, reviewing the day’s sketches, and enjoying a nap on a coach bus between cities and scheduled events, or sleeping on the night train. Living out of suitcases is not easy, but I am certain that each experience will remain memorable at all levels. It was for me and my faculty colleague.

Taking a look back, this is what was originally proposed:

Proposal

Margarita McGrath and Henri T. de Hahn, architecture professors at the School of Architecture + Design (A+D), will be joining the 2022 Fall Travel Program during the second travel segment, by offering students a particular insight into the culture of four countries/regions/cities—Switzerland, Prague, Brno, Vienna, Ljubljana, and Northern Italy and their ensuing architectural production.

Program

Modern as well as contemporary European architecture remains without reservation a model for an integrative practice of architecture spanning from early design schematics to completed built work. The resulting landmark and architectural artifacts often forcefully and unabashedly exhibit their presence by being contemporary, yet mostly balancing any ‘wow’ factor with more humble testimonies that subtly integrate each intervention within a historic fabric and a deeply rooted architectural history and theory. This attitude to ground a project has, over decades—and in fact since the Grand Tour—shown architects’ great dexterity in handling complex urban spaces, interstitial spaces, and concerns about historic preservation, in particular within the historic fabric of European city centers.

The proposed itinerary is tailored to build/prepare on the previous first segments—and in preparation to the third segment—of the 2022 Fall Travel Program, by focusing on a number of key historical, modern and contemporary architects among many other ‘anonymous’ architects whose production remain remarkably noteworthy and important to visit first hand.

Pedagogical intent

While students may at this time be familiar with many of the architects—through their academic tenure at A+D—the faculty of record are interested in contextualizing each visit while bringing previous experiences to bear on the production of new knowledge as students develop attitudes about form making, construction, structure, technology, siting, urban and landscape planning; all topics which will lead to the development of a personal language that will culminate during the students’ upcoming thesis year.

The intended visits allow for a comparative discourse between architectural movements, religious, institutional, civic, real estate developments, private and social housing interventions, within both urban and rural contexts. Noteworthy, a number of impromptu and scheduled discussions regarding the understanding of each city will be held, as the urban European morphology remains integral in how building types are generated. Discussions will pay particular attention to deeply interrelated connections between cities and places, architects and artistic movements, culinary culture and social aspirations. Wherever this segment may fall, it is the faculty’s ambitions to introduce foreign cultures and to contextualize spaces and places that students have visited, or will look forward to visit during the semester.

Atelier de Hahn

The Architecture of a Global Traveler