L’École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Nantes is a public institution of higher education and research.
Its exceptional urban architecture was designed by Lacaton & Vassal — winners of the 2021 Pritzker Prize. It is home to over a thousand students, and prepares them for the state diploma in architecture. Here, individuals are also trained to be scenographers, naval architects, architect-engineers and urban planners.
Now affiliated with Nantes Université, the institution has decided to be even more invested in the city and surrounding region, offering its students a range of cultural activities that focus on the domains of architecture, the city, and the environment. With its emphasis on experimentation, it uses the greater Nantes region to propose other ways of thinking about the environment, and of inhabiting urban, suburban and rural territories.
Within this highly strategic environment, ensa Nantes offers training that integrates architects into society and opens them up to a wide range of professional practices that will prepare them to meet today’s challenges.
The building itself also opens out onto the region, thanks to its roof and terrace, both of which offer a unique panorama of the city. (Access to the terrace is currently closed to the public)
Studio Katra is a creative studio made up of a multidisciplinary team that creates worlds and images revealing cities and territories. Discover their floor painting on the ground outside the Pôle des Arts Graphiques, permanent work of the inter-school itinerary implemented in 2023.
#LVAN Works of art
Notre deuxième maison
It’s summer, and schools can breathe a little, where the workspaces occupied by students all year long are finally allowed to go untouched – spaces bear that witness to the wide array of practices at the architecture school. This intimate exhibition tells the story of the educational framework shaping tomorrow’s architects.
In the central square (1A), overlooking the Loire, small installations line the itinerary like so many facets of an architect’s black box. Like ethnographers, Florian Durand and Étienne Vrignaud – curator-scenographers and former students – recreate the unique atmosphere of what it’s like to study architecture. They tell about life in their second home, filled with tracing paper, sketches, and half-open notebooks…
This exhibition complements the diploma projects visible from the “Galerie Loire”, which are the culmination of five years of passion and dedication by student-architects.
Flash tours daily at 5:30 PM. Duration: 20 – 30 min
No reservation needed, subject to availability.
6 Quai François Mitterrand 44000 Nantes
How to get there?
Parking(s) nearby: Parking CHU 1, Parking CHU 2, Parking Gloriette 2, Parking Les Machines, Parking Gloriette 1
Public transport: République, Gaston Veil, Gare de l'État
Self-service bicycles: Station Naolib Vélo libre-service École d'architecture (n°77), Station Naolib Vélo libre-service République (n°46), Station Naolib Vélo libre-service Prairie au duc (n°45), Station Naolib Vélo libre-service Quai moncousu (n°39), Station Naolib Vélo libre-service Palais de justice (n°44), Station Naolib Vélo libre-service Félix éboué (n°37)
In the event of very high temperatures:
For everyone’s comfort and safety, some sites are likely to temporarily close. Decisions to close venues will be taken at the last minute so as to keep them open as long as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience if the site is closed during your visit. Don’t hesitate to check if other stops are open nearby (parks, museums, reflecting pool, etc.): Just follow the green line!
