The 10 Best Architects in Paris (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 10 picks

The best architects in Paris in 2026 include Ateliers Jean Nouvel and 2Portzamparc, both led by Pritzker Prize winners, Lacaton & Vassal for transforming existing housing, and Wilmotte & Associés for heritage and interiors. For a private house or apartment, Studio Razavi and the bilingual Holmes Architecture are more approachable choices.

How we chose

Building work is expensive and hard to undo, so this list is held to a higher bar than a restaurant round-up. Every practice here is a working Paris-area architecture firm with its own website and a published studio address. We mixed internationally known firms, which mostly take on large public and commercial projects, with smaller studios that work for private clients. Nobody paid to be included and there are no affiliate links.

We do not rank architects by fees or results, and nothing here is professional advice.

Only architects registered with the Ordre des architectes may use the title in France, and they must carry professional and ten-year building (décennale) insurance. Check any architect in the Ordre's online directory and ask for their insurance certificate before you sign.

Most Paris apartment renovations do not legally require an architect, but you will need one for larger new-build work, and a good one earns their fee on anything structural: removing a load-bearing wall, combining two apartments, adding a mezzanine or changing a façade. Expect your building's co-owners (copropriété) to vote on structural work, and extra rules in protected areas overseen by the Architectes des Bâtiments de France.

1. Ateliers Jean Nouvel — Faubourg du Temple (11th)

The studio of Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel, behind the Institut du Monde Arabe and Philharmonie de Paris.

Specialty Cultural buildings, towers, hotels, housing, interiorsBest for Institutions, developers and major private commissions

Jean Nouvel won the Pritzker Prize in 2008, and his Paris studio has shaped the city's skyline for decades, from the light-filtering façade of the Institut du Monde Arabe to the Fondation Cartier, the Musée du Quai Branly and the Philharmonie de Paris.

This is a studio for landmark commissions rather than apartment renovations, but it is the essential name if you want to understand contemporary Paris architecture.

Good to know: Visit the Fondation Cartier and the Institut du Monde Arabe to see the studio's work before you get in touch.

10 cité d'Angoulême, 75011 Paris

Google Maps Website

2. 2Portzamparc — Opéra / Cadet (9th)

Christian and Elizabeth de Portzamparc's practice, from cultural buildings to hôtel particulier restorations.

Specialty Architecture, urban planning, renovation, interior architectureBest for Public clients, developers and owners of significant buildings

2Portzamparc was founded by Elizabeth and Christian de Portzamparc, who won the Pritzker Prize in 1994. The practice works at every scale, from cultural buildings and offices to housing, hotels, renovation and interior architecture, in France and abroad.

Its Paris work includes the restructuring of hôtels particuliers on rue Barbet-de-Jouy, a reminder that the firm also handles historic residential buildings.

Good to know: It takes on renovation and interior work as well as new buildings, but expect a substantial project scope.

31 cité d'Antin, 75009 Paris

Google Maps Website

3. Lacaton & Vassal — Montreuil (just east of Paris)

Pritzker-winning architects known for transforming existing housing instead of demolishing it.

Specialty Housing transformation, collective housing, cultural buildingsBest for Social landlords, public clients and housing developers

Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal won the Pritzker Prize in 2021 for an approach summed up as never demolish: they add space, light and winter gardens to existing buildings. In Paris, their transformation of the Tour Bois-le-Prêtre in the 17th is the best-known example, and they also worked on the former Saint-Vincent-de-Paul hospital.

Their work is mostly public and collective housing, but their thinking influences anyone renovating an older Paris building.

Good to know: Their projects are a good brief to show your own architect if you want more light and space from an existing building.

80 rue de Paris, 93100 Montreuil

Google Maps Website

4. Wilmotte & Associés — Faubourg Saint-Antoine (12th)

A large Paris practice known for museums, heritage restorations and interior architecture.

Specialty Architecture, heritage, museography, interior architecture, urban designBest for Institutions, hotels, developers and owners of historic buildings

Founded by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the firm covers architecture, urban planning, interior architecture and design from its studio in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. It is particularly known for museums and for restoring and adapting historic buildings.

That mix of heritage and interiors makes it relevant for owners of significant historic properties who want a single firm for the building and its interiors.

Good to know: Best suited to large heritage or hospitality projects rather than a single apartment.

68 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75012 Paris

Google Maps Website

5. Studio Odile Decq — Le Marais (3rd)

Odile Decq's studio, spanning architecture, design and art.

Specialty Architecture, interiors, furniture and designBest for Cultural clients, hospitality and distinctive private commissions

Odile Decq is one of France's best-known architects, with a bold, often dark and dramatic style. Her studio works across architecture, interiors, design and art, and in Paris it designed the Phantom restaurant inside the Opéra Garnier.

It suits clients who want a strong architectural signature rather than a neutral renovation.

Good to know: Look at the project pages first; the studio's style is distinctive, so make sure it is what you want.

11 rue des Arquebusiers, 75003 Paris

Google Maps Website

6. Manuelle Gautrand Architecture — Bastille (12th)

Behind the folded red façade of the Citroën flagship on the Champs-Élysées.

Specialty Cultural buildings, offices, retail, housingBest for Institutions, brands and developers

Manuelle Gautrand's practice is best known in Paris for the C42 Citroën showroom on the Champs-Élysées, with its folded glass façade, and further afield for the extension of the LaM museum near Lille.

Its work is mainly cultural, commercial and residential buildings at scale, with a strong interest in expressive façades.

Good to know: Mostly large commissions; for a private project, ask at the outset whether the scale fits.

36 boulevard de la Bastille, 75012 Paris

Google Maps Website

7. ChartierDalix — Oberkampf (11th)

A Paris practice known for buildings that make room for plants and wildlife.

Specialty Housing, schools, offices, biodiversity in architectureBest for Public clients, social landlords and developers

ChartierDalix is a Paris architecture practice whose housing, schools and offices are designed to host nature, with planted walls and roofs that serve as habitats. It is one of the reference firms in France for biodiversity in urban buildings.

Its work is institutional rather than private, but it is a good source of ideas if you are thinking about green roofs or terraces in Paris.

Good to know: Its approach is worth knowing if your copropriété is discussing a green roof or courtyard project.

27 rue Popincourt, 75011 Paris

Google Maps Website

8. Septembre — Oberkampf (11th)

A Paris studio working on housing, restaurants, hotels and mixed-use buildings.

Specialty Housing, restaurants and hotels, offices, mixed programsBest for Developers, restaurateurs, hoteliers and private clients

Septembre is a Paris architecture studio whose portfolio runs from housing and mixed-use buildings to restaurants, hotels and offices, with a research and exhibitions strand alongside.

Its hospitality and housing work at a more modest scale makes it a good fit for owners and small businesses.

Good to know: Its restaurant and hotel projects are a good guide to its interiors; ask to see residential work too.

29 rue des Trois Bornes, 75011 Paris

Google Maps Website

9. Studio Razavi — Faubourg Poissonnière (10th)

A Paris studio designing houses, apartments, interiors and furniture for international clients.

Specialty Houses, apartments, interiors, furnitureBest for Private clients, banks and hospitality

Studio Razavi describes itself as based in Paris and working internationally, and it designs buildings, interiors and furniture. Its projects include private houses and apartments alongside a bank and a Paris hotel.

The combination of architecture and interiors suits private clients who want one studio to handle both a structural renovation and the finished rooms.

Good to know: Ask for apartment projects in the portfolio that match your scale before you commission a sketch.

54 rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris

Google Maps Website

10. Holmes Architecture — Bastille / rue Amelot (11th)

A bilingual English-French practice based in Paris since 1992.

Specialty Workplaces, commercial interiors, renovation, Paris building rulesBest for International companies and English-speaking owners

Holmes Architecture is a bilingual practice that has been based in Paris since 1992 and describes itself as an English-speaking international architect in Paris. Its work focuses on places to meet, work and interact, and on navigating Paris and Île-de-France building rules.

For an English-speaking client, having an architect who can explain French regulations, permits and contractor quotes in English removes much of the stress of a project.

Good to know: Ask whether site supervision is included; it is the part of the mission that matters most if you are abroad.

84 rue Amelot, 75011 Paris

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an architect to renovate an apartment in Paris?

Not always. An interior renovation that does not touch the structure or the façade can be done with a contractor or an interior designer. You need an architect for new construction or extensions above the legal surface threshold (150 m² of floor area for an individual), and you will want one for structural work, which also needs the building's co-owners to approve it at a general meeting and often a structural engineer's report.

What permits does a Paris renovation need?

Inside an apartment, usually none from the city, but the copropriété must approve work affecting common parts or the structure. Changing windows, shutters or anything visible from outside needs at least a prior declaration (déclaration préalable) at the town hall, and much of central Paris is a protected zone where the Architectes des Bâtiments de France must sign off.

How much does an architect cost in France?

Fees are free to negotiate. Many architects charge a percentage of the construction cost for a full mission, often around 10% give or take depending on size and complexity, while others quote a fixed fee per phase (sketch, permit, tender, site supervision). Ask for a written contract that lists exactly which phases are included.

How do I check that an architect is registered?

Search their name in the Ordre des architectes directory, which lists every registered architect in France. Then ask for the certificate of professional and décennale insurance, which covers structural defects for ten years after completion.

Can I manage a Paris renovation from abroad?

Yes, many international owners do, but hire someone to run the site: an architect with a full mission including site supervision, or an interior designer who coordinates the trades. Weekly photo reports and a contractor's written quote (devis) for every change are the minimum. Our guide to Paris interior designers covers studios that handle full renovations.

1. Ateliers Jean Nouvel — Faubourg du Temple (11th)

2. 2Portzamparc — Opéra / Cadet (9th)

3. Lacaton & Vassal — Montreuil (just east of Paris)

4. Wilmotte & Associés — Faubourg Saint-Antoine (12th)

5. Studio Odile Decq — Le Marais (3rd)

6. Manuelle Gautrand Architecture — Bastille (12th)

7. ChartierDalix — Oberkampf (11th)

8. Septembre — Oberkampf (11th)

9. Studio Razavi — Faubourg Poissonnière (10th)

10. Holmes Architecture — Bastille / rue Amelot (11th)

Frequently asked questions

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