Some excited, some tired and some exhausted after the first review, the students have settled into the seats of the auditorium to discover what awaits them on their first field trip. It was to many’s excitement that some discovered or rediscovered what sites we will be visiting. Unfortunately we have been separated into two main groups personally being in the architecture group, but then only to soon find out that it has been carefully calculated as to permit both the future artists and architects to see the most important sites for each group. Whereas the art students were going to visit the Venice biennale and spend more time in Milano, the architecture students would travel more intensely to see various projects around the North of Italy and the southern portion of Switzerland. What has been perhaps most exciting was to hear our planned visit of the Thermae Vals baths designed by Zumthor, a project that is very well known and respected for its extremely well designed spaces and attention to detail. To my personal excitement, I discovered that we will be visiting some of Carlo Scarpa’s works, among which of course the Brion Tomb, a project that I have thought of visiting myself for some time. Thus filled with excitement and joy, we have psychologically prepared for the intensive trip that awaits us, and have certainly gotten even more motivated to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to prepare and reach the train station just in time for departure.
(photo credit to Ihwa Choi)