Preservation First: Lessons from Goa’s Portuguese Legacy at the Institute of Menezes Braganza

Entering the Institute of Menezes Braganza in Goa is like entering a time machine. This building was built by the Portuguese over 450 years ago and is presently in existence, with strata of art, culture, and history.

This learning tour to Goa was an open classroom for the students of Parul University. Instead of pages in a textbook, the old walls, wide staircases, and carved details became their teachers. 

A Building That Tells Stories

The Institute is not simply a building, but a stone and wood story. Starting with the high ceilings and the ancient balconies, every corner bears the Portuguese imprint on Goan architecture.

It also raises an important question: how do we take care of such old buildings while keeping them useful in today’s time? 

Preservation Over Refurbishment

During the session, students learned that while refurbishment is important to maintain a building, preservation of the original form is more important. Once a building like this is lost, it cannot be rebuilt. It can be helped by modernization, but it must not take away its essence.

This was among the most important things learned during the visit: respecting what is already there and deciding what one can add or modify.

Learning Beyond the Books

Students understood during the tour that architecture is more than just diagrams and drawings. The feeling of walking through the Institute made them realize how light enters a room, how materials age over time, and how spaces still remain functional centuries later.

It was not just about studying a design but about understanding how a building can serve both practical and cultural purposes at the same time.

Architecture and Art Together

It is not only the fame of the Institute but also its contribution to art and culture. Over the years, it has been a meeting place of artists and thinkers, and this has provided another level of meaning to the building.

To the students, this made it clear that architecture cannot be independent of society. The life and activities of a building are as much a part of the building as its walls and roof.

Key Takeaways for Students

The students walked away with some solid learning points from this tour:

• Heritage buildings are one of a kind, and they can never be replaced after they are lost.
• Remodeling of buildings must occur, but not at the cost of preservation.
• The architects play the role of preserving the past and drafting the future structures.

The lessons will help them in their future development as architects because their choices will impact both new buildings and existing ones.

They also said that the session was enlightening and encouraging. Some said that it transformed their perception of old buildings. They knew that it was just as important to conserve what is already there as it is to come up with something new. It opened their eyes to the reality that architects make the cultural landscape.

Why Visits Like This Matter

India boasts of numerous heritage buildings that are still standing. Cities grow, and old designs are replaced with new designs; these buildings are sometimes in danger of being forgotten or demolished. Such tours allow students to learn the power of growth and preservation.

The architects in the future should be able to make buildings in the future that are modern and practical, yet they must ensure that they do not brush off history in the attempt.

A Lesson in Responsibility

The Institute of Menezes Braganza not only provided architectural insights. Students came to know that architecture is about respecting time as much as it is about space. The students got to learn that heritage does not only concern history but also what we want to take into the future by walking through its 450-year-old corridors.

Such experiences are part of the learning experience here, as students go beyond the classroom to witness the way architecture breathes in the real world. It was a simple yet powerful reminder that preservation is not a choice and that architects have a duty to conserve the cultural identity of spaces that we inhabit.

From Campuses to Cities

At Parul University, studies are not confined to four walls. Students get to explore places where the world becomes their classroom such as walking down the corridors of a 450-year-old building in Goa, sitting with authors during a writers tour in Mumbai, visiting futuristic labs on a robotics tour in Chennai, visiting the heart of innovation during a biopharma visit in Hyderabad, and learning about the pulse of creativity on a design tour in Mumbai. Every trip brings something to their education, something that cannot be found in a textbook alone.

These immersive learning tours are not just trips, but experiences that build worldviews, stimulate thoughts, and prepare students to enter the world. Each city teaches a lesson, each field visit opens the door, and they all leave a memory in the mind that will last much longer than college life.