S7#11 🇺🇸🇬🇧 Itv, “Between Past and Future, the Secret Life of Monuments” with Maël de Quelen

·52 min·5 clips

Maëlle de Calin discovered her passion for historic monuments at age nine, imagining lives inside their fragile walls.

Anne-Charlotte Dupont hosts Maëlle de Calin, a chief architect of historic monuments, on the bilingual architecture podcast Com d'Archi. Maëlle begins by discussing her early passion for monuments, sparked at age nine during family trips across France. She describes participating in restoration camps at 16 and her educational path through the Chaillot School to become a heritage architect. Maëlle worked with chief architects like Thierry Algrand and Benjamin Mouton before founding her own agency in 2015. She explains the role of a chief architect, including handling emergencies and managing projects for state-owned monuments. Maëlle highlights restoration projects such as village churches and master plans for Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire and Chambord. She shares a vivid story about restoring the Collegiate Church in Bren during COVID lockdown, emphasizing the sensory experience of craftsmanship. The interview covers challenges like funding shortages, accessibility standards, and hazardous materials like asbestos. Maëlle recounts her personal trauma witnessing the Notre-Dame fire, having worked there for three years. She discusses the importance of authenticity in restoration and the use of historical documents like the Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry. Maëlle notes trends in the field, including increased use of drones and 3D scanning, and a shift toward restoration over new construction in architecture schools. She describes her team of about a dozen people, including heritage architects and engineers. The conversation touches on broader themes like ecological awareness and the need to disconnect from digital overload. Maëlle advises architecture students to avoid locking into one path too early and to take risks. The episode concludes with promotional content for the podcast and a recommendation for another show.

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