It is said that travel broadens the mind, and beginning in 2017 the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is offering a new global travel program specifically focused on broadening the architectural mind.
Architectural Adventures, as the program has been dubbed, will offer small-group trips tailored for the discovery and appreciation of architecture. Every Architectural Adventures tour will feature subject-matter experts, hand-picked by the AIA, to guide travelers and enliven their awareness of the world’s architecture. The tour guides will offer an up-close view of not just the iconic landmarks and buildings in the various cities, but also an explanation of how the historical, political and cultural events helped shape the cityscapes.
Architectural Adventures provides individuals with the opportunity to participate in special excursions, gain exclusive behind-the-scenes access, and get insider knowledge to popular sights as well as lesser-known, yet equally fascinating architecture.
2017 destinations and highlights are listed below:
- Havana: In March, set forth on a six-day immersion in the Cuban capital that spans from Old Havana and the 16th century stone fort that guards Havana Bay to the city’s early twentieth-century Art Deco wonders and its most prominent contemporary projects.
- Barcelona: In March, discover Antoni Gaudí’s Modernist marvels and see the city’s medieval Gothic Quarter.
- Chicago: In April, explore the varied works of Frank Lloyd Wright and see why Chicago is known as the first city of American architecture.
- Lisbon to London: In April, cruise Europe’s Atlantic coast, stopping to see its most spectacular sites and structures, like the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and France’s Mont Saint-Michel.
- Northern Italy: In May, immerse yourself in the Renaissance world of Andrea Palladio and visit Venice for an exclusive tour of St. Mark’s Basilica.
- Cities of the Baltic Sea: In June, sail from Copenhagen to Gdansk to Tallinn to St. Petersburg to Helsinki to Stockholm, stopping to see the Baltic’s grandest designs.
- Along the Danube: In June, experience Central Europe’s signature cities, including Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest.
- London: In July, wander London’s charming back streets and towering triumphs like Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
- Portugal and Northern Spain: In October, take an epic 17-day journey from Lisbon to Barcelona by way of the seminal cities of the Spanish Pyrenees.
- China: In October, spend two weeks exploring Chinese culture and design in Beijing, Pingyao, Hangzhou, and Shanghai.
Accommodations, most meals, tour transportation, and logistical details of the trip are included in the tours. For more details on booking availabilities and new trip announcements visit architecturaladventures.org.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Aug 4, 2015
GIANTS 300 REPORT: Top 64 Architecture/Engineering Firms
Stantec, HOK, and Callison RTKL top Building Design+Construction's 2015 ranking of the largest architecture/engineering firms in the United States.
Giants 400 | Aug 4, 2015
GIANTS 300 REPORT: Top 106 Architecture Firms
Gensler, Perkins+Will, and Kohn Pedersen Fox top Building Design+Construction's 2015 ranking of the largest architecture firms in the United States.
Giants 400 | Aug 4, 2015
ARCHITECTURE GIANTS: 21 practice management innovations from architecture Giants
Design firms have gone all out with management innovations in the last year. Check out which ones might work for your firm.
Architects | Aug 4, 2015
Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture closer to independent incorporation
The school is halfway to its first fundraising milestone, but is facing a major deadline at end of this month.
Industrial Facilities | Aug 3, 2015
Architect Jacques Rougerie envisions floating city to function as roving laboratory
The manta ray-shaped vessel will be completely self-sustaining, run on marine energy, and produce no waste.
Cultural Facilities | Aug 3, 2015
Funding needed for Washington's Desert Storm memorial
The National Desert Storm Memorial Foundation has a $25 million goal for the project.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 31, 2015
Zaha Hadid responds to Tokyo Olympic Stadium controversy
“Our warning was not heeded that selecting contractors too early in a heated construction market and without sufficient competition would lead to an overly high estimate of the cost of construction,” said Zaha Hadid in a statement.
Architects | Jul 30, 2015
The Lego Architect: Book offers simple how-to steps for recreating iconic buildings with Legos
The book features famous buildings accompanied with a photograph and drawing of the Lego model of the building, and a list of all the Lego pieces needed to complete a model of the building.
Transit Facilities | Jul 30, 2015
Snøhetta designs ring-shaped cable car station in Italian Alps
In Snøhetta’s design, two cylindrical rings embedded into the existing topography, each at different elevations, will be connected by a cable car. During the minute-long cable car journey, passengers can enjoy views of the city and of the Italian Alps.
Office Buildings | Jul 29, 2015
Design plans for Fannie Mae’s new HQ revealed
The developer/owner, Carr Properties, envisions a 1-million-sf plus mixed-use center with a large retail pavilion.
