On Strike: A Review on Post-1968 Architectural Education Changes in Spain

Abstract

The student movements of 1968 changed the course of architecture studies, although the shock wave of this earthquake -with the common epicenter in the education update- did not affect equally the Western Europe countries. In France, successive protests exploded the architecture section of the School of Fine Arts in different "pedagogical units" later turned into schools of architecture. In Spain, where political reasons converged with issues on institutions' autonomy, schools of architecture were also the scene of strikes and closures. This study follows the hypotheses of a grassroots debate on architectural learning launched by students. The cases of Madrid and Barcelona had greater visibility, but this paper delves into the particular history of the school of Valencia. Testimonies and unpublished archival documents reveal a peculiar situation, which finds a certain pedagogical parallelism with the present times.