Decq, who is also an urban planner and academic, is in the country for the New Zealand Institute of Architects’ annual conference in Auckland.
Organisers said she had heard about the beauty of Dunedin and Otago Peninsula and wanted to experience it herself.
She also has a keen interest in students and the future, which meant Dunedin was a must.
Known for her distinctive style and use of bold colours, Decq has a diverse portfolio that ranges from art galleries and museums to social housing and infrastructure.
She is best known for the Cargo incubator building in Paris, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome and the Fangshan Tangshan National Geopark Museum in Nanjing, China.
She also recently completed the Antares building in Barcelona, which is a bold, 30-storey tower of 89 residences that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.
In 2016, The Architectural Review and Architects’ Journal awarded her the Jane Drew Prize, describing her as a "creative powerhouse, spirited breaker of rules and advocate of equality".
Decq, who started her first practice in 1979 and founded her own architecture school, will speak at the Glenroy Auditorium on August 18 at 5pm.
