Listen to the conversation between Rosanna and Kacper Niezabitowski

“I have been very inspired by nature since my childhood,” notes the Paris-based, Polish Architect and Interior Designer, Kacper Niezabitowski. “I was obsessed with ornithology as a child, which has definitely shaped my creativity a lot – and I think that’s why I always integrate nature into my own designs.”

Niezabitowski’s interest in birds, and, more broadly, in his connection to landscape and the natural world, was expressed in his Architectural thesis: a series of wooden pagodas that are intended for bird-watching in the Biebrza National Park in eastern Poland – a haven for many rare and endangered species during their various migrations. Within this bustling ecosystem, Niezabitowski designed a cluster of simple, narrow structures, made in blackened, burnt oak, which are accessed via long, twisting boardwalks, which stretch across the river, or across the plains.

Designed to “disappear into the landscape,” these humble buildings also recall the local architecture – the “rural wooden buildings with arcades,” that are found in the nearby Polish countryside. “My priority is always to design something that is functional, it has to be practical – that’s the most important for me in the design process – but with my own style, with my own artistic direction.”

Part contemporary minimalism, and part stripped-back traditional fisherman’s hut, the Biebrza National Park project exemplifies Niezabitowski’s style, which he describes as being “very inspired by Japan and by Wabi-Sabi.” Both a philosophy and an aesthetic, Wabi-Sabi is an appreciation of “a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete … a beauty of things modest and humble,” according to the author, Leonard Koren.

For Niezabitowski, the Japanese philosophy is expressed in his use of honest materials and raw textures; his desire to use only natural light to illuminate a space; and his accentuated use of shadow. “I really like an interior that is only made from textures, where the colours are very unsaturated but the materials are full of detail. For me, that creates a very special ambience.”

“I like an earthy palette and I love rough materials, like stone, travertine and wood – especially oak. And for the walls, lime plaster is my favourite,” says the designer, whose tonal interiors have a distinct sense of calm and quietude. Niezabitowski’s visualisations include a monastery in Antwerp, Belgium, which was built in the 17th century, and that fell into disrepair and ruin over the centuries – and his reimagining of the space is based on a clean and contemporary scheme, but with an appreciation for worn textures and historic detailing, which combine to create a sense of timelessness – a building that is both of the past and the present.

Informed by the story of a particular place, site or building, Niezabitowski’s work is heavily inspired by his travels around the world. Drawn to tropical climes, whether in Asia and South America, the designer likes to create an architecture and interior that is specific to each country, the culmination of all that he has seen, observed and felt during his time there.

The Balinese Pavilion, a residential project located on the edge of Lake Bratan in Bali, brings together Niezabitowski’s thoughtful aesthetic with the requirements of a tropical environment – the intensity of its heat and humidity. Sitting low to the ground, the building is wrapped in a slatted wooden screen that is designed to “protect from the sun, and, at the same time, to observe the scenery.”

Creating a more fluid boundary between inside and out, the slatted screen invites a breeze into the space, as well as transforming the daylight into thin slithers, strips of light that fall on the interior, moving slowly across the space following the trajectory of the sun in the sky. “I try to integrate all the elements of nature, water, air, sunlight – they are all equally important to me.”

Similar themes are explored in Niezabitowski’s Moroccan project, a hotel located near the Haut Atlas Oriental National Park, between Lake Tisilit and the Atlas Mountains to the east. A strong play of contrasts, the building features a series of large, rectangular cut-outs that open into the landscape beyond. Through these openings light spills into the building in generous quantities, creating sharp shadows and an enhanced sense of geometry.

The painters of the Renaissance developed a technique called Chiaroscuro, in which they would exaggerate areas of light and shade in order to produce painterly depictions that felt fully dimensional. For Niezabitowski, his designs are based on a similar technique, creating depth and dimensionality in his own work through a sophisticated interplay of light and shade. “I put a big emphasis on creating shadows in my designs [because, I believe this] is what creates an ambience in an interior.”

Having developed his own vision and style – a defined palette of colours, textures and materials – Niezabitowski’s designs draw upon his personal history and individual interests, as well as his sensitivity to each locale. From his base in Paris, the designer has undertaken his own projects and commissions, including a full renovation of an apartment in a beautiful Haussmannian building.

In 2024, Niezabitowski will split his time between Paris and Antwerp, working for the world-renowned studio of Vincent van Duysen – a designer known for his exquisite understanding of how light sculpts space. ‘I am very inspired by Belgian architecture, and by Belgian designers,” noted Niezabitowski when we spoke in late 2023, naming Axel Vervoordt and Van Duysen as being among his favourite contemporary architects.

“I love projects that are made with soul,” notes the architect and designer – an ethos that is sure to see his work connect with whomever might encounter it. Subtle, fine and understated, Kacper Niezabitowski’s designs have a calm and quiet that has a global appeal, whether in Japan or Belgium, the centre of Paris or the outer edges of the Polish countryside.