spain+portugal

26 June - 12 July 2023

Based on the original legendary itinerary, this intensive 16 days 'grand tour' (17th day returning to Madrid) will give a comprehensive view of architecture and culture in the Iberian Peninsula. It is a slightly less hectic version from our original 14 days itinerary.

There will be a lot of walking and public transport use. A certain basic level of fitness is required and it is best suited for architecture graduates, architecture students, architects and independent travellers. We will cover the Centre (Madrid, Toledo), West (Mérida), South (Córdoba, Sevilla), North (Bilbao, San Sebastián), East (Barcelona) and Portugal (Lisbon, Porto). *destinations currently subject to change

From local heroes such as Rafael Moneo, Alvaro Siza, Jose Lluis Sert, Eduardo Souto de Moura, Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza, Enric Miralles, Santiago Calatrava, RCR Arquitectes, Miguel Fiscac, Aires Mateus, Ricardo Bofill, Mansilla Tuñon, Nieto Sobejano, Selgas Cano, Antonio Gaudi etc 
…to international stars such as Mies van der Rohe, Herzog & de Meuron, OMA, Frank Gehry, Richard Rogers, Jean Nouvel, Norman Foster, Charles Correa, Jürgen Mayer H., Richard Meier, Eladio Dieste, Arata Isozaki, Amada Levete, Philippe Starck, Paulo Mendes da Rocha etc.

Cost:

Current early-bird pricing (15% off) until 24th April

AUD$3960 AUD$3366 per attendee.
AUD$2750 AUD$2200 per student or graduate (within 2 years)

Price does not include flights, accommodation, food, transport or admissions.

Accommodations and inter-city transports will be booked by Archimarathon on your behalf. Prices will be transparent, based on the best value for money and our itinerary.

Centre

The tour will start and finish in Madrid. Being the capital, it is an important artistic and intellectual hub as well as influential architectural schools for the whole of Spain. We will spend a few days exploring the abundance of projects the city has to offer. From inner city projects to far flung suburban churches. We will also go on a quick day trip to the historically rich city of Toledo, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

South

Andalusia has a very rich and layered history, especially the influence in the built environment from the Moorish Empire. We will be paying a quick visit to Córdoba and Sevilla. From the historically significant masterpieces such as the Mezquita-Catedral and the Alcázar Palace, to the rejuvenating urban project such as Metropol Parasol by Jürgen Mayer H. and the Islamic geometric motif inspired Contemporary Art Centre Córdoba by Nieto Sobejano.

West

Extremadura is a bit of a forgotten region of Spain, especially for international tourists. The region has some of the best Roman ruins as well as some of the most exciting contemporary architectural projects in Spain, especially their congress centres. Mérida, the capital of Roman Lucitania, is the home to Rafael Moneo’ s masterpiece, the National Museum of Roman Art.

North

Basque Country has its own distinctive culture and language. Some of the most influential architects and artists from Spain were Basques. We will be based in Bilbao to explore the international big name projects such as Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao as well as smaller projects in the towns in the surrounding areas. A day trip to San Sebastián / Donostia allows us to visit the Chillida-Leku Museum, to learn about the inspirational works of Eduardo Chillida and his influence in architecture

East

Barcelona is perhaps the most visited city and remains one of the most popular with holiday goers. There is a lot more architecture the Catalunya capital has to offer than just Gaudi’s work. From Mies van der Rohe’s seminal Barcelona Pavilion to Catalan Modernist Josep Lluís Sert’s Fundació Joan Miró, from the complexly layered geometric operations of Enric Miralles to Pritzker Prize winners RCR Arquitectes’ uncompromisingly poetic local projects, the city has no shortage of architecture to visit.

Portugal

A side trip to Portugal gives us a good comparison of architecture in the Iberian Peninsular. Focusing mainly on Lisbon and Porto, we will see the influence of the Porto School - Fernando Távora, Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura, as well as the new generation from Lisbon such as Aires Mateus and João Luís Carrilho da Graça. There are also the relatively recent projects by international architects such as OMA from The Netherlands, Pritzker Laureate Paulo Mendes da Rocha from Brazil and Charles Correa from India.