★★★★★ 5.0
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Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris
Students are still discovering rooms designed by the same masters who furnished luxury ocean liners in the 1930s. Welcome to the Cité Internationale Universitaire here on Boulevard Jourdan, where this 34-hectare campus houses the world's most architecturally diverse student residences. That building floating above the ground? It's Le Corbusier's revolutionary Swiss Pavilion from 1933, suspended on six concrete pillars that plunge 19 meters underground into what was once a quarry. This was the first modernist building ever constructed at the Cité, completely shocking traditionalists with its banner windows and pillar-supported design. Inside these houses, you'll find furniture crafted by Art Deco legends like Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, who normally designed for millionaires. The campus grew from one building in 1925 to accommodating 5,500 international students by the 1960s, making it Europe's largest experiment in architectural diplomacy where every nation built their own cultural statement in stone and steel.
Did You Know?
- The Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris was founded after World War I with the visionary goal of creating a 'school of human relations for peace'—a place where students from around the world could live, study, and build lasting friendships, directly contributing to international understanding and preventing future conflicts.
- Each of the 40+ residence halls at the Cité is designed in a distinct architectural style representing its country of origin, creating a unique 'flat Tower of Babel' with buildings ranging from Swiss chalets to Japanese pavilions, and even a residence funded by John D. Rockefeller Jr., after whom one of the main avenues is named.
- The Cité has hosted over 200,000 residents from 140 countries since its founding, including future Nobel laureates, artists, and world leaders, and today it remains a vibrant cultural hub with concerts, theater, sports, and gardens—making it a living museum of global cultures and a fun, educational destination for families.