The ALWA study trip to Venice in 2018 was an inspiring immersion into architecture, history, and atmosphere. Arriving by water taxi, we slowed to approach the canals, weaving through the city’s labyrinthine streets before reaching our lodgings. Even this journey felt like the first lesson: how Venice reveals itself gradually, its charm and complexity emerging with each turn.

Visiting the Architecture Biennale placed us directly inside a global conversation about space, politics, and responsibility. The Giardini and Arsenale offered a striking diversity of approaches—from poetic and speculative to urgent and deeply political. Rather than presenting finished answers, the Biennale asked questions, encouraging reflection on architecture’s social and cultural roles.

A particular highlight was the pavilions of the Holy See, located on the isolated island of San Giorgio Maggiore. The quiet focus on dignity, care, and human presence felt deeply moving. The historic church seemed to watch over the exhibition, lending the island a sense of contemplative isolation that made the experience especially resonant. In the Giardini, the Norwegian pavilion by Sverre Fehn also captivated us. We enjoyed the careful detailing of the concrete and the way light and material were thoughtfully composed, a subtle yet powerful demonstration of architectural precision, welcome and gathering.

Equally memorable was the Querini Stampalia Foundation by Carlo Scarpa. Experiencing his choreography of water, light, and materials in person revealed a sensitivity that drawings cannot capture. Scarpa’s interventions felt both timeless and experimental, merging modern detail with historical context in a way that made the building feel alive.

Walking through Venice itself was an extension of the trip—a living laboratory where water, architecture, and daily life intersect. Every canal, square, and building seemed to tell a story, making the experience at once enriching and quietly inspiring.