One of the simple pleasures of wandering around the 11th arrondissement where I have stayed in Paris is the totally unexpected discovery of a number of intriguingly detailed school buildings in the area. From the art deco influenced modernism of the ecole des filles et garcons on Rue des Tallianders to the iconography of the iron-work gates of the ecole on Rue de Marsaille these building possess an aesthetic charm and wit rarely, if ever, present in everyday institutional architecture. So it was with a genuine sense of wonder that I came across the ecole on Rue des Trois Bornes. Tucked away on a tiny side street the school resembled nothing so much as an ocean liner with its porthole windows and curved façade. The nautical theme was a popular variation on the art deco style at the time of its construction in 1932. A theme that is further reinforced by a relief sculpture featuring a stylised representation of a classical sailing vessel that puts one in mind of voyages of Homeric proportions. As fitting a metaphor as any for the education process and indeed life itself. However, it was a sense wonder that quickly dissolved. A small plaque dating from 1991 on the front of the building told of the 1100 children from the 11th arrondissement of Paris that were sent to Nazi death camps in the years between 1942 & 1944. The promise and optimism that I had previously read in the building now replaced by an almost unfathomable sadness.