WTA Architecture and Design Studio becomes the only Filipino and Asian team selected for the 2025 Festival des Architectures Vives in Montpellier, France—captivating 16,000 visitors with a chocolate-inspired installation rooted in Filipino tradition and global critique.
In a thrilling triumph of creativity, culture, and community, WTA Architecture and Design Studio has just made architectural history as the sole Filipino and Asian team chosen to exhibit at the Festival des Architectures Vives (FAV) in Montpellier, France—a city often hailed as one of Europe’s cultural powerhouses. Out of a record-breaking 90 international entries, only 10 finalists were selected, and WTA stood proudly among some of the most forward-thinking studios from Europe and America.
Known for its vibrant energy and youthful soul, Montpellier is more than just a picturesque city in the South of France—it’s the beating heart of creativity. Home to some of France’s most prestigious universities and art schools, the city thrives with a potent blend of intellectual vigor and artistic innovation. Its streets echo with the influence of cultural giants like philosopher Auguste Comte and contemporary fashion icon Simon Porte Jacquemus. From historic mansions to street art and experimental performance, Montpellier is where centuries-old heritage meets radical expression. It’s also one of Europe’s unexpected hotspots for cutting-edge architecture with buildings by the likes of Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel and Sou Fujimoto.
This backdrop set the stage for the Festival des Architectures Vives 2025, an immersive, city-wide celebration that turned Montpellier’s hidden courtyards into living laboratories of architectural wonder. With this year’s theme—La Gourmandise (indulgence, greed, and the love of good food)—WTA delivered a bold and deliciously subversive installation that became one of the most talked-about exhibits of the week, attracting an astonishing 16,000 visitors in just six days.
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Chocolate With A Conscience
WTA’s response to the theme was inspired by the universality of chocolate—a treat that crosses cultures, class, and age. Their concept explored chocolate as a symbol of affordable luxury, historical value, and global inequality. But instead of displaying it behind glass, WTA invited visitors to walk through it.
The design drew from the Filipino tradition of pabitin, a festive game where children jump to snatch hanging candies. Here, it was reimagined as a monumental, shimmering installation made of hundreds of chocolate bars suspended in the air. From a distance, the bars formed a perfect two-euro coin—but as one approached, the illusion fractured into a kaleidoscope of layered fragments. Each bar was wrapped in the signature gold foil of Auro Chocolate, the globally recognized Filipino bean-to-bar brand that partnered with WTA to bring this vision to life.
The pabitin structure itself was brought to reality by Fasclad Aluminum, showcasing the technical mastery and craftsmanship of Filipino makers. It was a homegrown creation through and through—proudly Filipino, boldly global.
But no triumph comes without drama. Despite meticulous planning, WTA’s materials were held in French customs until the festival’s opening day. What followed was a high-octane sprint to complete the installation in just record time—made possible only through the support of local volunteers, fellow finalists, and Montpellier residents who stepped in to help. In a moment that could only be described as Filipino bayanihan abroad, strangers became teammates, and what started as a team of three ballooned into a task force of ten. “We felt like the whole city was cheering us on,” said the team. “It was chaos and community all at once.”
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A Living Conversation
Once unveiled, the installation became a magnet for emotion, dialogue, and delight. Children ran beneath the floating bars shouting “chocolat!” while older visitors paused to reflect on the deeper meaning of the piece. “We wanted to create something that was not only beautiful, but also meaningful,” WTA shared. “A space that sparks joy, and also introspection.
The reflective wrappers on the back of each fragment distorted the viewers’ own images, subtly prompting them to consider their role in the global consumption chain. This was not just design for design’s sake—it was architecture as storytelling, layered with culture, critique, and compassion.
WTA’s selection marks a milestone for Filipino design on the world stage. In a European festival known for experimental brilliance and visual poetry, the Manila-based studio carved out a space that was heartfelt, hands-on, and completely unforgettable.
Photos courtesy of WTA Architecture and Design Studio
WTA Architecture and Design Studio is one of the Philippines’ leading global design firms, currently ranked 80th on Building Design UK’s World Architecture 100 list. Renowned for its socially responsive architecture and storytelling through design, WTA operates at the intersection of innovation, culture, and community—reimagining how we live, connect, and build together.
