Ré]inventer l'existant 2025" competition

Victoria Roussel

Congratulations to Eve Bergeron, Emma Coppens and Lilia Hocine, students at ENSA Paris-la Villette, winners and finalists in the third edition of the competition [Ré]inventer l’existant 2025: les architectes de demain imaginent notre avenir post-carbone, organized by DRAC and DRIEAT Île-de-France!

The “Le Ventre de la Baleine” project, under the direction of Guillaume Baron and Mesnil Sineus, won the “Architect Mediator” special mention.

On October 8, 2025, at Les Récollets in Paris, the winners of the 3rd edition of the competition were announced. Of the 27 projects submitted, 10 were selected by the jury for their quality and the diversity of the typologies studied, but only 4 teams ended up as winners. Composed of students and teachers from architecture schools in the Paris region, these teams were recognized for their projects to transform existing buildings, reconciling sustainability, innovation and heritage preservation.

The “Belly of the Whale” project

“Le Ventre de la Baleine”, an artistic wasteland in Pantin that has been home to over 300 artists since 1989, has escaped demolition thanks to a co-construction process involving local residents. The aim of the project is to rehabilitate the building, improve its energy performance and finance the work through the construction of new housing. A proposal that combines creativity, industrial heritage and social housing, demonstrating that an alternative to destruction is possible.

Exhibition for the Journées nationales de l’architecture

An exhibition of the competition’s 10 outstanding projects is open to the public until November 7 at the Couvent des Récollets, Maison de l’Architecture IDF.

More information on the Ministry of Culture website

News

  • Find out more about the State Architects and Planners (AUE) competition

    The DRAC d’Île-de-France and CROAIF are organizing two information events to promote the missions of State Architects and Planners (AUE) and increase the number of registrations for the AUE competition, a civil service management body.

    During these meetings, which will take place simultaneously by videoconference and in person at the Chapelle des Récollets (Paris 10th arrondissement), AUEs from the Ministries of Culture, Ecological Transition, the Armed Forces and Europe and Foreign Affairs will give presentations and answer participants’ questions on :

    • training courses available to prepare for the competition ;
    • the competition, tests and expectations (timetable, skills required, etc.) ;
    • jobs in government departments: urban renewal, landscape evolution, project management, heritage preservation, ENSA… ;
    • career development in the civil service.

    Both events will be hosted by Olivier Lerude, Head of the Regional Department of Architecture and Heritage Spaces (SRAEP) at DRAC Île-de-France.

  • Bookstore release: "Mai 68. Parole à l'architecture", Éditions de la Villette

    The book brings together some thirty interviews with key figures from this historic turning point, including Jean-Louis Cohen, François Very, Bernard Huet, Roland Castro, Henri Ciriani, Monique Eleb and Jacques Lucan… Curated by Caroline Maniaque, Éléonore Marantz and Jean-Louis Violeau, who also curated the exhibition “Mai 68. L’Architecture aussi!” exhibition at the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine in summer 2018, the book restores the kaleidoscopic words of this “generation” and puts them into historical perspective.

  • Award for an ENSAPLV student

    Camille Chenal-Mitterrand, a Master 2 student, is a member of one of the eight multi-disciplinary winning teams in the “Dressing the palisades of the Notre-Dame construction site” competition organized by the City of Paris and the CAUE 75.

    While we wait for the prize-winning graphic designs to dress the palisades of the construction site between 2026 and 2028, it’s already possible to browse and zoom in on the entire line designed by each team on the CAUE 75 website.

  • Prix des Espoirs de l'architecture BNP Paribas Real Estate 2025: 3/3 for ENSAPLV students!

    On February 18, 2026, BNP Paribas Real Estate unveiled the winners of the 18th edition of its Prix des Espoirs de l’architecture at an awards ceremony at its offices in Boulogne-Billancourt.

    All the awards were won by students from ENSA Paris-la Villette:

    • Jury prize: “En attendant l’orage” by Romane Toussaint, Master 1 student
    • Internet users’ favourite award: “Bobigny Délire” by Malaury Pierre and Maxime Caudrelier, Master 1 students
    • BNP Paribas Real Estate Special Prize – “Du bureau à l’assiette, dèmen ka kiltivé” by Morgane Lelouey-Rault, Master 1 student

  • ENSA Paris-la Villette on Japanese time. A week of dialogue and exchange

    ENSA Paris-la Villette is delighted to welcome a large delegation from its Japanese partner universities from March 9 to 16: The University of Tokyo, Meiji University, Chiba University, Tokyo City University, Institute of Science Tokyo, Kyoto University, Kyushu University.

    Their visit, made possible thanks to funding from the European Union’s Erasmus+ program, is accompanied by a number of events that will benefit the school’s students, alumni and teaching staff, most of which will also be open to the general public. Course presentations, round tables and conferences, as well as an exhibition, will provide ample opportunity for meetings and exchanges.

    This event is intended both as a retrospective celebrating the educational, scientific and human relations that have linked ENSAPLV and its Japanese academic partners for several decades, and as an opportunity to initiate new research and educational projects co-constructed on promising themes for the future.

  • 3007 visitors to Open Day 2026

    On Saturday February 7, ENSA Paris-la Villette welcomed a large number of visitors who came to find out more about studying architecture and the specific features of ENSA Paris-la Villette: the range of initial and specialized courses on offer, admissions procedures, the course of studies, international mobility, careers in architecture and professional integration, student life…

    Alone, with friends or family, visitors wandered around the school premises to discover the student work on display (architectural projects, performing arts and techniques, plastic arts, etc.) and to meet students, teachers and administrative staff, who were on hand to answer any questions.

    Couldn’t make it?
    On this page, you’ll find all the information you need to make your choice.