Art, Architecture & Design
BARCELONA, SPAIN
Barcelona is a living museum of architecture and design, where centuries of innovation, culture, and craftsmanship coexist within a compact, walkable city. From the narrow alleys of the medieval Gothic Quarter to the wide, orderly boulevards of the Eixample district, Barcelona’s urban fabric reveals a continuous dialogue between past, present, and future. Every CIEE Faculty-Led & Custom program is a unique combination of high-quality academics and co-curricular activities and excursions that offer real-world experiences to enhance classroom learning.
Destination
Barcelona is one of the world's great architectural cities. It's home to a unique blend of Gothic, Modernisme and contemporary architecture. It is known for urban planning innovation, like the superblocks (superilles) that reclaim city space for pedestrians and cyclists. It’s a living lab for sustainable urban design. It is also a UNESCO City of Design and a major player in global design culture. The city regularly hosts design fairs, exhibitions, and events. Barcelona is not just a place to observe architecture and design—it’s a place to live it. The city encourages creativity, critical thinking, and experimentation, making it a powerful source of inspiration for studying abroad.
Co-Curricular Activities
Lectures
The Art, Architecture & Design program in Barcelona includes guest lectures on topics such as:
- The Cerdá Plan and the origins of modern urbanism covering the vision of equality, light, and mobility.
- Barraquismo (shantytowns), which existed around Barcelona from the 1920s to the 1970s and played a crucial role in shaping Barcelona’s urban development and working-class identity.
- 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games to explore how the Olympic Games reshaped the city and influenced its urban development.
Site Visits
Here are just a few of the possibilities for co-curricular activities and excursions in Barcelona:
- A guided Visit to Park Guell, as an example of eco-urbanism, blending nature and built environment.
- A guided visit to Sagrada Familia, one of the most ambitious architectural projects in history—offering insight into both historic and ongoing design processes.
- Walking tour of the Eixample District, including Casa Milà and Casa Batlló to witness how planning and architecture can shape daily urban life at a human scale.
- Visit to Design Museum of Barcelona that offers exhibitions and collections that contextualize design’s role in society, commerce, and culture.
- Day trip to Colònia Güell to see Gaudí’s experimental architecture and an early example of modernist industrial design.
What's Included
Every program is tailored to suit the needs of your academic goals – so every program has unique program inclusions and pricing based on your needs. In addition to the programmatic and cultural inclusions above, a standard CIEE custom program includes on-site orientation, 24/7 emergency support, in-country transportation, accommodations, some meals, classroom space, comprehensive insurance coverage and logistical support from our on-site CIEE staff. We also offer marketing templates and other valuable tools to help you get the word out to students.
Health, Safety, & Security
CIEE has over seven decades of experience creating engaging and reliable study abroad programs around the world, with an excellent safety record. Each of our sites is regularly assessed using international risk management standards and data to facilitate successful programs. In addition, our custom and faculty-led programs include pre-departure and on-site orientations, iNext travel insurance, the support of trained CIEE staff members on-site, and 24/7 emergency support in-country. Learn more at ciee.org/safety.