A group of 46 students and 2 faculty members from IAPNU have successfully completed an International exploratory RSP (Study tour) to France and Italy. Duration of the RSP was from 10th to 23rd July, 2022. The group visited the cities of Paris, Lyon, Milan, Padova, Venice, Pisa, Bologna, Florence and Rome. During this tour students visited, experienced and understood places of architectural importance which are frequently cited in the theoretical and studio based teaching process at IAPNU. The Colosseum, St. Peter’s Basilica and square, the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, Pantheon, Duomo at Milan, Santa Maria del Fiore at Florence, Church of Gesu, Opera Garnier, etc are examples of visited places from the Roman times to the 19th Century through which evolution of architectural conceptions and styles was understood. By first hand experience of buildings designed by Le Corbusier, Renzo Piano, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Coop Himmelb(l)au, Jean Paul Viguier, Jean Nouvel, etc students could appreciate the varied design approaches adopted by Modernist and contemporary architects. An exposure to use of building construction techniques and materials, particularly steel, to achieve architectural forms was also a major learning from this tour. Of particular importance were the observations that students made related to urban form and streetscapes of Paris, porticos of Padova and Bologna, urban squares or piazzas of Rome, contemporary urban regeneration projects in Lyon and Milan, design of business district of La Defense, experience of systems of mobility and their integration with urban areas, etc. Students and faculty have immensely benefited from this exploratory RSP and we believe this experience will enrich their design approach in Design Studio and strengthen their understanding of theoretical underpinnings of architecture.
