As the recipient of the CVU 2025 Traveling Studio Award, sponsored by IIT’s Droste Fund, the Fall 2025 MTBVU cohort traveled to Paris and Germany as part of their SOM-led studio exploring how emerging technologies may shape the future of tall buildings.
The trip began in Paris at La Défense, where students visited the Grande Arche and walked through the district with faculty, discussing its urban planning, architecture, and role as one of Europe’s major business centers. The group then traveled to Frankfurt, visiting the Main Tower Observatory for a broader understanding of the city’s skyline and touring key projects including Omniturm, Deutsche Bank, and Commerzbank. Students also visited the Four Frankfurt development by UNStudio, where they viewed the project in progress and toured a residential unit within the complex.
The final stop in Rottweil closely connected to the studio’s focus on emerging technologies. At the TK Elevator Test Tower, students examined advanced elevator systems and the engineering behind new approaches to vertical transportation. The visit helped ground their studio work, which investigates how innovations such as artificial intelligence, advanced materials, robotic manufacturing, and next-generation elevator systems could transform tall-building design.
Overall, the trip gave students the opportunity to connect their academic research with real-world examples, strengthening their studio projects through direct exposure to contemporary architecture, engineering, and technological innovation.
Students and professors visiting the observation deck of the TK Elevator Test Tower during the Fall 2025 international studio trip.