[Ré]inventer l’existant 2026 Awards Ceremony

For the fourth consecutive year, the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) and the Regional and Interdepartmental Directorate for the Environment, Planning and Transport (DRIEAT) of Île-de-France, under the initiative of the Regional Prefect, are organizing the “[Re]inventing the Existing” competition.

Its objective is to raise awareness among future architects of the interconnected challenges of heritage preservation, architectural innovation, and ecological transition, encouraging them to rethink existing buildings for a post-carbon future. Through their projects, tomorrow’s architects are reinventing the city of the future.

4th Edition: Unprecedented Participation from Architecture Schools in the Paris Region

For this new edition, all seven architecture schools in the Île-de-France region have taken part, confirming the commitment of the younger generation to a sustainable approach to the built environment:

• National School of Architecture Paris-Belleville (ENSA Paris-Belleville)
• National School of Architecture Paris-Est (ENSA Paris-Est)
• National School of Architecture Paris-La Villette (ENSA Paris-La Villette)
• National School of Architecture Paris-Malaquais (ENSA Paris-Malaquais)
• National School of Architecture Paris-Val de Seine (ENSA Paris-Val de Seine)
• National School of Architecture Versailles (ENSA Versailles)
• Special School of Architecture (ESA)

An Expert Jury for a Rigorous Selection Process

Student projects are assessed by a multidisciplinary technical panel bringing together key stakeholders in ecological transition and urban development across the Île-de-France region:

• Paris Climate Agency (APC)
• CEREMA (Centre for Studies and Expertise on Risks, Environment, Mobility and Urban Planning)
• Regional Council of the Order of Architects of Île-de-France (CROAIF)
• Ekopolis (the Île-de-France platform for sustainable development and construction)
• ENSA ÉCO Network (network of architecture schools committed to ecological transition)
• Regional Union of CAUEs of Île-de-France (Councils for Architecture, Urban Planning and the Environment)

Award-Winning Projects on Display

Ten winning projects will be showcased and exhibited during ARCHITECT@Work Paris.

The awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the conference hall of the exhibition.

This event offers a unique opportunity to discover the innovative visions of the next generation of architects as they imagine and reinvent the city of tomorrow.

For further information, please visit the Ministry of Culture website here and the DRIEAT website here.