The Festival des Architectures Vives celebrates twenty years of creativity in Montpellier’s courtyards

Every June, the festival opens the hidden courtyards of Montpellier’s mansions to a young generation of architects from around the globe. For its twentieth anniversary edition, which took place from 9 to 14 June 2026, the festival chose ‘Transmission’ as its theme and invited former participants to act as mentors. Nearly eighteen thousand visitors explored thirteen temporary installations. What legacy has been left by two decades of fostering a dialogue between heritage and contemporary creation?

Twenty years, a record attendance

Since its inception in 2006, the Festival des Architectures Vives has attracted an ever-growing audience. In its first year, 3,500 people passed through the courtyard gates. The festival exceeded 13,000 visitors during the 2023 and 2024 editions, before surpassing 16,000 in 2025. The anniversary edition attracted nearly 18,000 people, setting a new attendance record. Free and open to all, the festival route winds through the Écusson district in the historic centre, taking in the courtyards of private mansions that are usually closed to the public. Over the course of twenty editions, the festival has opened thirty-two of these Montpellier gems, not counting three events held in La Grande Motte.

‘La Transmission’ is the central theme of the 2026 anniversary edition of the FAV

Transphères – Atelier Mousqueton ; photoarchitecture.com

To celebrate this milestone, the festival has adapted its traditional format. Iconic teams from previous editions have taken on a new role as mentors to the selected young agencies. This passing of the baton reflects the trust placed in emerging talent and the collective spirit that has characterised the festival since its inception. ‘Passing on the Torch’ resonates powerfully in the courtyards of these private mansions, where inherited expertise meets fresh ideas. Eleven mentors, all of whom are former participants, are supporting this cohort. Thirty-six guides, who are students at the École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Montpellier, led visitors from courtyard to courtyard, explaining each team’s vision.

Julien Tuffery, a patron from the world of denim

Téisser – Laetitia Rejany et Iacha Perget ; photoarchitecture.com

n keeping with this theme, the festival has chosen Julien Tuffery to be the patron of its anniversary edition. For the past two years, the festival has chosen its patrons from outside the field of architecture, selecting figures with a strong connection to creativity and the local area. Julien Tuffery is at the helm of Atelier Tuffery, founded in 1892 in Florac, in the heart of the Cévennes. He represents the fourth generation of a family of tailors and garment makers. The company is the oldest French jeans manufacturer still in operation and holds the ‘Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant’ (Living Heritage Company) label. Together with his partner Myriam, Julien is steering the company’s development, balancing heritage with modernity and local production with sustainable materials. This is a tangible way of keeping the tradition alive, both within the workshop and in day-to-day practice.

Thirteen installations, thirteen perspectives

Liminalité en mouvement : Yui Takeshima, Yurika Takemura, Haruna Kawamura ; photoarchitecture.com

Thirteen temporary installations designed by forty architects of six different nationalities were displayed in the courtyards. The first ‘Twenty Years’ Special Prize’ was awarded to ‘Liminalité en Mouvement’ by Japanese architect Yurika Takemura, which explores visible and invisible boundaries through a performance inspired by Noh theatre. The People’s Choice Award went to Panache de Lumière, a chromatic canopy by Ateliers A+, which was suspended above a courtyard. The jury also commended Le continuum comme espace-temps, a reflective surface installation created by a Quebec-based duo, and Le sens du détail, which invites viewers to reimagine the city’s classical façades. The environmental award went to Sablier, a sand monument erected by the Nou(e)s collective.

A festival mindful of its environmental footprint

Mât-tiers – Calada Architectes et Atelier Moschata ; photoarchitecture.com

The festival continues its long-standing commitment to the environment. Since 2024, it has partnered with Mas Réemploi in Montpellier, whose online catalogue enables teams to source recycled materials for their installations. At the end of the festival, a collection drive gathers the dismantled elements for reuse or recycling. Across the thirteen installations, this initiative saved nearly 12,275 kilos of CO₂ equivalent, representing 3.7 tonnes of materials given a new lease of life. A charter guides each team from design to dismantling to minimise the environmental footprint of these temporary structures.

Twenty years of observing architectural practices

Le continuum comme espace-temps : Marie-Laurence Durand et Charles-Antoine Lauzon ; photoarchitecture.com

As well as the workshops, the festival sees itself as an observatory for emerging architectural practices. Since 2006, it has welcomed over 730 architects from 26 countries, nearly half of whom were international. To mark its twentieth anniversary, a symposium held at the DRAC Occitanie brought together mentors and young teams for three round-table discussions focusing on networks, experimentation, and sharing. These discussions built on the theme of this year’s edition, reaffirming the festival’s role as a springboard for a generation inventing new ways of conceiving the city. Twenty years on from its inception, the Montpellier event remains true to its original mission of making architecture accessible to all.