A group of students from the Diploma in Architecture participated in the 16th Premio Compasso Volante Competition in Italy from 3 to 13 October 2014, a competition that focuses on issues of sustainability, technology and world issues.
The workshop and prize ceremony were conducted at the Politecnico di Milano’s Lecco campus. It was an eye opener for the students, many of whom were their first international competition. The students were able to examine the many different approaches on the same set of problems they dealt with in the competition, and they explored with rigor the varied ideas presented in the various proposals. Top winners came from the Italian teams, with one merit award given to the Japanese participants.
The students spent 3 nights in Lecco, allowing them the first taste of Italy in the intimately scaled, walkable lakeside town.
The next stop in the trip was Milan city, where the students visited the famous Duomo. Time was spent visiting the more modern buildings in Milan, and the students saw works from the well-known architectural maestros.
The students were also given the opportunity to experience the Italian rail transport system during the transit from city to city which taught them the importance of keeping to time as well as looking after each another.
At Venice, the students were able to attend the Venice Architectural Biennale curated by Architect Rem Koolhaas entitled “Fundamentals”. It was an eye opener to see such a large-scale exhibition on the subject of architecture and its current issues, including what various countries were dealing with in their built environment.
Issues about identity, relevance, urban decay and the effectiveness and reality of what architecture could achieve were explored in the Biennale. The students appreciated the struggles each city faced within the context of a place of dwelling for both work and daily life.
The visit to the famed Florentine City was a favourite of many students, who got a chance to see the great works of Michelangelo. They looked on with fascination as they contemplated the genius and the skill with which the artist executed his sculptures and architecture.
