The almost epic account of the events of a competitive exam in Madrid in 1970 sets the scene for the story of the process of change in how architecture was taught in Spain, especially how that played out at the School of Barcelona. Through his personal perspective as one of Rafael Moneo´s assistant professors, the author portrays the period during which Moneo served as professor in Barcelona following the exam, and how his arrival there became one of the key factors in sparking this change and its consolidation. The author also looks back to the years prior to 1970 and the launching of two curriculums, Plan 57 and Plan 64, which sought to provide a technical fix for overcrowding in higher education but largely ignored questions to do with how architecture is learned. Spanish universities and technical schools were embroiled in endless conflict during a turbulent time that heralded the end of Francoism. The book concludes with a dialogue between Rafael Moneo and the author on some of the book´s recurring issues and on the current situation of architecture and its teaching.
