Institut national des études territoriales, Grande école in Strasbourg, France

The Institut national des études territoriales is a large public administration school in Strasbourg. Its white building has a flat grid of rectangular panels and tall windows, with a horizontal glass band across the front bearing the words "LA GRANDE ECOLE DU SERVICE PUBLIC LOCAL" in dark capital letters, while a rounded multi-story glass bay projects from one corner above the set-back upper floors.

The school's roots go back to 1919, when a public program for urban studies was created near Paris. After several reorganizations, it moved to Strasbourg and took its current name in 1998, having been founded in its present form in 1990.

Students here often come after earning a master's degree, and each yearly class chooses a name to mark its identity. The glass band across the facade carries the phrase "LA GRANDE ECOLE DU SERVICE PUBLIC LOCAL", a visible reminder of the school's role in training local government managers.

The front entrance is easy to spot thanks to the tall glass doors and dark metal frames at ground level. Visitors who arrive on foot can orient themselves by looking for the long glass band above the lower windows.

Each year, about a thousand people take the main entrance exam, but only around thirty are admitted. The selection is so narrow that the entering class is smaller than a single lecture hall audience.