Nicolás Marcos Riego, Architecture student, details how he experienced the visit to the French capital with the rest of his classmates and professors. "Our stay in Paris was an academic trip in which we visited some of the most emblematic monuments, museums and public spaces of the city. For five days we strolled through its streets, explored its architecture and discovered that unique blend of history, art and urban life that defines the French capital so well.
The first day began at the Louvre, with its imposing façade by Perrault and the iconic glass pyramid that welcomed us. After touring the museum, we continued through the Tuileries Gardens, the Arc du Carrousel and Les Deux Plateaux, ending the workshop at La Samaritaine, where we were able to contemplate Parisian elegance in all its splendor.
The second day we met at the place du Trocadero to admire the Eiffel Tower, one of those works that, however well known, impress when you see it in person. We also visited Perret's home on Rue Benjamin Franklin and the Grand Palais. In the afternoon, we toured the National Library of France (Labrouste), with its impressive reading rooms and interior gardens, and continued on to Les Halles, City Hall, Le Marais and place des Vosges. One of the highlights was a visit to the Institut du Monde Arabe, where we had a close look at how contemporary architecture dialogues with tradition.
The third day was dedicated to Versailles: its palace, gardens and Trianon allowed us to understand the scale of power and sophistication of the French baroque. In the afternoon, we visited Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye, a true manifesto of modernity. Back in Paris, we ended the day at the National Library of France (Quai François Mauriac), where we were presented with the project statement, in a setting that combined art, knowledge and contemporary architecture.
On the fourth day we toured the historic heart of the city: Notre Dame, the Pantheon, Santa Genoveva and the Stock Exchange. During the visit to St. Genevieve we were fortunate to coincide with an organist playing, and for a few moments it was like immersing ourselves in a plenary session of the Executive Council Baroque: the music filled the space, the light filtered through the columns and everything took on an almost magical atmosphere. In the afternoon we visited the Musée d'Orsay, where, on leaving, we officially received the project statement. Afterwards, we continued to place de la Concorde, La Madeleine, Place Vendôme, the Saint Honoré Market and the Galeries Lafayette, enjoying the mixture of monumentality and daily life that characterizes Paris so much.
The last day we started at the Arc de Triomphe and continued along the Boulevard Haussmann until we reached the Opéra Garnier, whose visit was especially memorable: its interior has a special mysticism that transports you to another era, making you imagine the gala nights and the splendor of nineteenth-century Paris.
Among the many moments we could highlight, Versailles also left a special mark. Strolling through its gardens and rooms made it inevitable to imagine what it would be like to spend a weekend there, among fountains, gilded halls and the majestic silence of the groves.
The best thing about this trip to Paris has not only been everything we have learned, but the way we have lived it. They have been intense days, with a very tight schedule and a lot of walking, but every step has been worth it. Walking through the streets of Paris, stopping in front of every building, museum or place, and being able to listen to everything from the hand of our teachers has made the experience really special.
Having María Angélica and Carlos to explain history, art and museums has been a real luxury; their way of transmitting knowledge has made each visit come alive. Having Miguel Angel as a project teacher has allowed us to understand the architecture from the inside, to know the reason for each decision and to connect what we saw with our own work. And thanks to Germán and Amaia we have been able to look beyond the aesthetic, understanding the functioning of the Structures and the systems that shape the architecture we admired.
Beyond all that we have learned, what has made this trip so special is living with our classmates and teachers. It has been an experience that has brought us together as a group, between laughter, kilometers traveled and shared moments. Paris has offered us not only beauty, history and architecture, but also the opportunity to live it together, to learn by looking at it and to feel it by walking.
If I take something from this stay is precisely that: the desire to return, to continue exploring the city without maps or schedules, to get lost in its streets and contemplate it calmly. This trip has taught us to look at architecture with different eyes, to enjoy it not only as something to study, but as something to live".
