French architects are mobilizing in strong opposition after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced plans to modify the mandatory threshold for architecture competitions. Multiple professional organizations contacted by industry publication Batiactu have denounced the proposal as a "strategic error" that threatens the profession's future.
The announcement on November 20, 2025, sent shockwaves through the architectural community. Lecornu's declaration to raise the threshold has triggered an alarm among architects who view this move as potentially devastating to their profession. The current system requires public entities to hold architecture competitions for projects above a certain financial threshold, ensuring quality design and fair competition among professionals.
Professional architectural organizations have been quick to respond to the government's proposal. They argue that raising the threshold would reduce opportunities for architects to participate in public projects and could lead to a decline in architectural quality for mid-scale developments. The organizations warn that this change could have long-term negative consequences for the built environment and the profession as a whole.
The controversy comes at a time when the French construction industry is already facing multiple challenges. The Senate recently adopted unanimous support for recognizing rehabilitation as a pillar of architecture, inscribing it into the 1977 architecture law as an act of public interest. This recognition was widely welcomed by architects, making the current threshold debate even more contentious.
Industry observers note that the proposed changes could particularly impact smaller and mid-sized architectural firms that rely on public competitions for a significant portion of their work. These competitions have traditionally served as important opportunities for emerging architects to establish their practices and for the profession to maintain high design standards in public projects.
The architectural community's unified response demonstrates the significance of this issue for the profession. As the debate continues, architects are preparing to present their case against the proposed changes, emphasizing the importance of maintaining current competition requirements to preserve architectural quality and professional opportunities in France's public sector.
