March 26-March 29, 2014
Once again, students were lucky enough to go on a field trip, this time outside of Spain! The Netherlands was definitely a change of pace from our home here in Barcelona. I think the entire group can agree when I say that both places are absolutely astounding, but once and in a while you need a break from the norm. We only spent a short time in The Netherlands, but Sophia and Yoel made the most of it...we barely stopped moving. Take a look at our agenda...
Wednesday 26.3.2014
Amsterdam
10:15am Flight (which was delayed!...boo)
Train Transfer and Hotel Check-In
Lunch and Exploration of the Central Library
Sketching and Walking Tour including a ferry ride to KNSM Island, the Eye, and Lloyd's Hotel among many others (There are way too many to recall currently-I wasn't kidding when I said we barely stopped moving!)
Free Evening- The group continued to explore the city and immerse themselves in the radically different Dutch culture.
Thursday 27.3.2014
Rotterdam
8:55 am Train to the Rotterdam Centraal Station (fun fact: this is the first group of CUArch students studying in Barcelona to see the project completed. It had been under construction for a number of recent years...if you're curious feel free to take a look for yourself.)
http://www.architectmagazine.com/infrastructure20projects/rotterdam-central-station-sets-new-standard-for-the-design-of-public-transportation_o.aspx?dfpzone=home
10:00 Hotel Check-In
11:00 Het Nieuwe Instituut Exhibition: Sets for Erwin Olaf/Bekiedung; Sonneveld House
13:00 CUA Program Lunch at NAI (yum!!)
15:00 Shoes Exhibition at Kunsthal by OMA (aka Rem Koolhaas) with a presentation on the building itself by Sara Gordon and Mariah Maloy and a stop to sketch long the way
17:00 More Sketching and Walking: Erasmus Bridge, De Rotterdam, KPN Office, Unilever Debroog Building and Schouwburgplein among others
Friday 28.3.2014
Utrecht
8:45 am Meeting at Rotterdam Centraal for 9am train
10:00 am Arrival in Utrecht (which led to a taxi ride to the Schroder House because the bus system in Utrecht is confusing and buses don't like to stop for pedestrians when they try to cross the street... Luckily, The Netherlands has REALLY nice taxis.)
11:00am Board #3 was issued at the Schroder House
13:30 pm Lunch at BasketBar on the University de Uithof campus
14:30 pm Walking Tour and Sketching: University de Uithof campus: University ans Educatorium, Minnaert Building, Neutelings Riedijk, and University Library along with a presentation by Isabel Lopez-Font and Andrew Lionikis
19:02pm Train to Rotterdam
Saturday 29.3.2014
Amsterdam to Barcelona
8:45am Meeting at Rotterdam Centraal for the 8:55am train
10:00am Store Luggage at Train Station
10:30 am Free Time!
Students were given a list of museums and sites to choose from and produce sketches of before meeting to head back home: The Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank Museum, Hermitage Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Stedelik Museum were all wildly popular among students.
16:15pm Meeting to Gather our Belongings and Head Home
20:00pm Barcelona Sweet Barcelona!
Overall this trip was both educational and just plain fun. We learned more in just a few days than we ever could have anticipated. And equally amazing is the opportunity to get to know each other as more than simply classmates and teachers, but really begin to establish relationships with people. It's a learning experience for everyone!
