prix w

To mark the 20th anniversary of its creation and the 11thᵉ edition of the W Prize, the Wilmotte Foundation invited young architects to take a look at an exceptional site: Montmajour Abbey, an emblematic monument of Provençal heritage.

This year, participants were asked to reinterpret areas that are currently inaccessible to the public - in particular the Saint-Maur monastery and the terraced terra ces - by combining respect for heritage with creative daring. The challenge: to imagine a future in which the ancient and the contemporary interact harmoniously.

A genuine springboard for emerging talent, the Prix W has for the past 20 years been a laboratory of ideas dedicated to the relationship between memory and innovation, a forum for reflection where the architecture of tomorrow is constructed.

Following the prize-giving ceremony and the presentation of the winning projects at the Venice Architecture Biennale last May, the Centre des monuments nationaux and the Wilmotte Foundation are now inviting the public to discover the winning projects at the very heart of Montmajour Abbey, from 11 December 2025 to 30 January 2026.

Winners of the W 2025 Prize

• 1st Prize: ECHO

Nils Bonifay (22, ENSA Paris Val-de-Seine) & Flore Beck (24, ENSA Paris Val-de-Seine)

• 2nd Prize: Révéler la ruine

Tom Bouchery (20, ENSAP Bordeaux) & Alice Ramos (22, ENSAP Bordeaux)

• 3rd Prize: The Saint-Maur art centre, revealing the stratifications of time

Emma Duval (24, ENSA Montpellier)& Pierre Thomas (24, ENSA Montpellier)

Mentions

• Mention n°1: ELEMENTS

Ahmed Mansouri, graduate of the Politecnico di Torino

• Mention n°2: RUINS TO ROOT

Lucas Rosewig, student at TU Wien

• Mention n°3: RESIDENCE VAN GOGH

Jule Vénien & Manon Coiffard, students at ENSAP Bordeaux

• Mention no. 4: EXPLORING MONTMAJOUR

Nguyen Huy Bao & Hung Nghia Mai, students at ENSA Paris Val-de-Seine

The Wilmotte Corporate Foundation The Wilmotte Foundation, created in 2005 by architectJean-Michel Wilmotte, works to promote " contemporary graft ", an approach that combines ancient heritage and modern architecture. It raises awareness among young architects of the challenges of rehabilitation, sustainable development and the redevelopment of existing sites.

The foundation organises exhibitions, conferences and publications, and collects testimonies to build up a memory of contemporary architecture. It is best known for the Prix W, abiennial international competition for students and recent graduates, designed to encourage architectural design that embraces the dialogue between past and present. The winning projects are exhibited in Venice and published in a dedicated book.

It is a committed player in the evolution of contemporary architectural practices.