The Prix de Versailles, renowned for rewarding the finest works of architecture worldwide, has just announced the winners for 2025! And in the “Passenger Stations” category, two Paris metro stations feature: Saint-Denis – Pleyel and Villejuif – Gustave Roussy. The latter, recently inaugurated,bear witness to remarkable architectural ambition, and reflect French excellence. Two stations that are both fine examples of technical prowess and aesthetics! Two stations you can visit today.
Two of the world’s most beautiful Paris metro stations
Both recently built, Villejuif – Gustave Roussy and Saint-Denis – Pleyel are absolutely magnificent. The Villejuif-Gustave Roussy station, inaugurated on line 14 on January 18, is the deepest in France! This unique metal vessel, designed by Dominique Perrault , seems much lighter than it looks. Bright and stylish, the station is also incredibly quiet… While for the moment, only line 14 runs here, line 15 south, scheduled for late 2026, is also due to stop here. It took eight years of construction work for this station to finally emerge from the ground! Light is elegantly reflected all along the 70 m diameter cylinder. Numerous escalators organize the flow of passengers: 100,000 are expected per day on average! An all-metal station with plenty of charm!
The Saint-Denis – Pleyel station is its opposite. Entirely covered in wood, it marks a real break with traditional stations. It serves line 14 and RER D, and is scheduled to be the terminus of lines 16 and 17 from 2027. Inaugurated on June 24, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma wanted to bring warmth to this building, where steel and concrete are often preferred. The wood seems almost draped , giving it a highly poetic allure. Natural light even reaches the premises thanks to an ingenious light pole, which illuminates up to 28 meters below ground. A veritable condensation of aesthetics and technology, it should eventually welcome more than 300,000 passengers every day!
The official ranking of the world’s most beautiful stations is due to be announced on December 4. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that one of the two Parisians wins!