This year, Faculty of Architecture, SCET, organised a 11 day tour from 12th March to 22nd March 2018 to Scandinavia, the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, as part of the annual International Exposure Program. The three countries share strong historical, cultural and linguistic ties with many of their language and dialects being naturally intelligible to North Germanic languages. 40 students accompanied by 5 faculty members visited Copenhagen, Malmo, Oslo, Geilo, Bergen and Stockholm. The Grand Canal tour of Copenhagen, Oresund bridge, Copenhagen and Oslo Opera Houses, the Flam railway and the Sognefjord were some of the highlights of the tour. Stockholm referred to as Venice of the North, built on 14 islands with its Gamla retains the old world charm of medieval streets, royal palaces, mansions of the bourgeois along Lake Malaren and the Baltic Sea. The water front of Nyhaven with its colourful 17th century wooden waterfront houses as well as palaces of Dutch Renaissance style were the chief attractions in Copenhagen. Copenhagen is a study in best practice urban planning with its thriving mixed use city centre defined by striking comtemporary architecture engaging public soaces and an abundance of human activity. Bergen, surrounded by mountains and fjords, the centre of the Hanseatic League, is a beautiful serene town whose natural landscape defies description as also Geilo with its ski slopes in the valley of Hallingdal. As always, the tour was a great learning experience in timber construction, conservation of natural environment, modernist architecture and urban planning practices.
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