The 2025 Prix Versailles award in the train station category was presented Thursday evening in Paris at UNESCO headquarters, with the honor going to a Parisian construction project. The Villejuif–Gustave Roussy station emerged as the winner of this prestigious international architecture competition.
The winning station's spectacular glass canopy clearly impressed the jury, which was composed of renowned architects and artists, including actress Emma Watson. The striking glass structure served as the defining feature that set the Paris station apart from other global competitors in the recently inaugurated stations category.
Meanwhile, the Mons station from Belgium achieved a respectable showing but did not advance beyond the preliminary selection phase. The Belgian station earned an honorable mention by securing a spot among the seven most beautiful recently opened train stations worldwide, though it failed to capture the top prize.
The competition organizers specifically highlighted the architectural merits of the Mons station, praising what they described as "the aerial style, the purity of line, the forms in steel and brilliant white" of Santiago Calatrava's "cathedral walkway." Despite these commendations for Calatrava's distinctive design elements, the station ultimately served only as a notable finalist in the prestigious international architecture competition.
