As we mentioned a few weeks ago, two stations in the Paris region were among the finalists for the 2025 Prix Versailles. On Thursday, December 4, the verdict was announced atUNESCO headquarters in Paris: the Villejuif – Gustave Roussy station in Val-de-Marne was named the most beautiful station in the world. This international recognition puts our department on the world map of architectural excellence.
The Paris station was competing with six other remarkable infrastructures around the world: the Saint-Denis-Pleyel station in Seine-Saint-Denis, the Gadigal station in Sydney, Australia, the Mons station in Belgium designed by Santiago Calatrava, and the Baiyun station in Guangzhou, China. In the «stations» category, Villejuif came out on top, while Sydney Station received the special prize for its interior and KAFD Station in Riyadh received the prize for its exterior.
What makes this station so exceptional?
Inaugurated on January 18, 2025, on metro line 14, this station, designed by architect Dominique Perrault —the same architect who designed the Bibliothèque nationale de France—stands out for its spectacular architecture. Dug nearly 50 meters underground for line 15, it is now the deepest station in France, dethroning Abbesses station, whose platforms are located 36 meters underground.
The project consists of a huge cylinder 70 meters in diameter, open to the outside thanks to a monumental transparent glass roof. This technical and architectural feat channels natural light onto the platforms, transforming the journey for passengers into a truly immersive experience. The architect has played with materials—smooth, perforated, mesh, or mirror-polished stainless steel—creating reflections and plays of light that blur the boundary between above and below.
Why is this station important for the area?
Beyond its remarkable architecture, this Grand Paris Express station plays a key role in Val-de-Marne. It provides direct access tothe Gustave Roussy Institute, Europe’s leading cancer research and treatment center. For patients coming for treatment, healthcare staff, and researchers, the arrival of the metro is a minor revolution. No more endless bus or taxi rides: you can now reach Châtelet-Les Halles in 20 minutes flat.
Located in the heart of the new Campus Grand Parc eco-neighborhood, near the Hautes-Bruyères departmental park —25 slightly bumpy hectares planted on a former sand quarry—the station also aims to be a new hub of urban life with six access points to the outside and 320 bicycle parking spaces. When Line 15 South arrives in the summer of 2026, Villejuif – Gustave Roussy will become a major hub in the network, with 100,000 passengers expected per day.
A source of pride for the Grand Paris Express
«This award recognizes our project management and the government’s commitment to French sectors of excellence, such as engineering and architecture, embodied here by Dominique Perrault. We have the same objective for all 68 stations on the Grand Paris Express: to combine architectural ambition, urban integration, and technical performance,» says Jean-François Monteils, Chairman of the Executive Board of Société des Grands Projets.
From the outset of the project, the challenge was clear: to entrust each station to a renowned architect and turn these everyday infrastructures into places where people want to stop, not just pass through. We could have made them functional and sober. Instead, they chose to make it beautiful. And this international recognition alongside the achievements of Sydney, Riyadh, and Guangzhou proves that it was the right choice. In fact, the Ministry of Culture has announced that the station will soon be labeled «Remarkable Contemporary Architecture.»
In short, if you’re passing through Val-de-Marne, take the time to stop at this station. Its skylight, its interplay of mirrors and materials, and its monumental escalators are well worth the price of a metro ticket, and the trip is included.
