Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris
For the second year of my Master in high energy physics, I am studying at the École Polytechnique in Paris. This week I arrived in Paris and moved into my new room in the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris (CIUP). Established shortly after World War I, the CIUP today hosts approximately 10’000 students in 40 different houses. These houses represent different countries. While half of the students of a given country are assigned to the house of their nationality, the other half is distributed among other houses to foster international exchanges and to contribute to the construction of peace in the world.
Location
The CIUP is located in the south of Paris. The city center as well as many of the university campuses can be conveniently accessed via the RER.
The Houses
Going for a stroll through the CIUP, I took pictures of the different houses. They wonderfully reflect the cultures of different countries, and some of them were even built by famous architects. But see for yourself.
Fondation Suisse
I was assigned to the Swiss House, which was built by none other than the Swiss architect Le Corbusier in 1931. It has room for up to 46 students, to which I may count myself for one entire year! Besides its permanent residents, the Fondation Suisse is visited by roughly 10’000 architecture enthusiasts each year. It’s a modern beauty (keep in mind the building date – 1931!).
In the coming weeks, I will try to upload more posts about the life at the CIUP. But for now, all that is left to say is that I am looking forward to my time in Paris!