Profile : Monika Kappel, in praise of architectural sobriety

Born in Poland in 1965, Monika Kappel entered Krakow Polytechnic, abandoning her inclination for medicine on a whim in favor of architecture. With the foundations laid by two years of study, she followed her tenacious desire to return to her father's homeland, and in 1986 joined the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture in Paris.

Already a visionary and trailblazer, the young woman graduated in 1993 with a project for an ecological timber-frame house that met the environmental requirements of the time. This approach to sustainable development was chosen and implemented in the Paris region, and is still at the heart of her projects today.

At the head of her own agency for over 25 years, Monika rehabilitates and designs tertiary, hotel and residential spaces, guided by the beauty of authentic materials. Praised for her ability to listen, she works with the same enthusiasm as when she started out, and still takes great pleasure in her work.

"I like to create in simplicity, to give harmony and elegance to the signature spaces that are submitted to me."

To achieve this, the architect's choices focus on the nobility of materials selected for their technical performance and aesthetic quality. Comfort and refinement come from the right balance of elements.

"I like colors to be harmonious, light to possess the space and create a memory for it".

Whether it's interior architecture, decoration, design, construction or project management, Monika approaches each project as a unique story, with the same attention to detail.

"I'm passionate about working with what's already there: restoring value, looking for what's been lost, cornices, old parquet floors... the splendor of the past, in a way! For me, the facade of a building should resemble what's behind it, rather than a movie set."

A woman of challenges, Monika has no qualms about tackling myths, notably with the Roches Blanches project. Expected to work on this project, which aimed to awaken the Sleeping Beauty, she emerged with honors. Everyone praised her work, which blends sobriety and great elegance, and today symbolizes the Kappel signature.