French architect Philippe Prost, renowned for his innovative work on existing structures and recognized as the 2022 Grand Prix National de l'Architecture winner, has been appointed to preside over the jury for the 43rd edition of the prestigious Équerre d'Argent and Première Œuvre awards. The announcement marks a significant moment for France's most important architectural competition, which celebrates excellence in contemporary architecture.

Prost, who leads his eponymous agency in Paris and is celebrated as both a thoughtful practitioner specializing in adaptive reuse and a distinguished educator, will oversee the evaluation of 25 nominated projects. The jury selection and awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 24, 2025, in Paris, following presentations by the architects of the shortlisted works.

The distinguished jury panel brings together an impressive array of talent from across the architectural and construction industries. Joining Prost as jurors are Claudia Devaux and David Devaux, both architects from Devaux & Devaux Architectes in Paris and winners of the 2024 Équerre d'Argent award. Adrien Coste, an architect from Alt174 in Tourcoing, Nord, who claimed the 2024 Première Œuvre prize, will also serve on the panel.

The jury further includes Clara Loukkal, a landscape architect from Altitude 35 agency in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, who won the 2024 Public and Landscape Spaces category. Additional architectural expertise comes from Camille Mourier of Face B in Lille, Nord; Dominique Châtelet, an independent architect, critic, and educator; and Marlène Leroux from Archiplein agency in Geneva, Switzerland.

Representing the development and engineering sectors, Willem Pauwels, General Director of Paris Sud Aménagement, and Philippe Samyn, an architect-engineer from Samyn et Partners in Brussels, Belgium, bring their specialized knowledge to the evaluation process. The craft industry is represented by Didier Duchêne, a metalworker from CMD2 company in Estissac, Aube, ensuring that technical execution and craftsmanship receive proper consideration.

The media perspective is provided by Fabien Renou, Editor-in-Chief of Le Moniteur, and Olivier Namias, Editor-in-Chief of AMC (Architecture, Mouvement, Continuité), both bringing editorial expertise and deep knowledge of contemporary architectural trends to the jury deliberations.

The Équerre d'Argent awards, established in 1983, represent France's most prestigious architectural honors, recognizing outstanding achievements in contemporary architecture and celebrating both established practices and emerging talent through the Première Œuvre category for first-time builders. The competition has become a benchmark for architectural excellence in France and continues to influence the direction of contemporary French architecture.