About Monacqua: Philosophy & History

Monacqua was created by local resident and mother of three Geeta Kalwani with a single ambition: to redefine bottled water for the conscious consumer. Launched in 2022 out of her desire to integrate nature into our everyday consumption, Monacqua seeks to improve our daily lives by transitioning from plastic to paper.

This philosophy is rooted in the idea that small, continuous changes can lead to a meaningful, lasting impact, known in Japanese as kaizen. Every detail, from sourcing to presentation, reflects the brand’s deep commitment to sustainability and mindful living.

The name Monacqua is a distinctive blend of “mon”, meaning “my” in French, and “acqua”, the Italian word for water — embodying the essence of Monaco itself. Celebrating Monaco’s rich cultural identity, the brand’s visual language channels the grace and femininity of the Belle Époque period, reimagined through a modern lens: elegant yet grounded, connected to nature and its preservation.

About Geeta – Founder, Monacqua

Geeta Kalwani was born in Liberia into an Indian family, and was displaced by war as a child. Her family eventually settled in Oman, and she went on to live across a dozen countries and study eight languages, a life shaped as much by movement as by curiosity. She holds a double masters in Political Affairs from Sciences-Po Paris and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore.

“As a mother of three precious children, the instinct to protect and preserve comes naturally. In the ocean of choices we have, Monacqua is my little modern-world contribution towards a greener, more sustainable Principality. After all, who better than a mother to understand the Earth, for we have both been incubators of life?”

A Brand with Purpose: The Monacqua Promise

Monacqua’s promise rests on five pillars: Purity, Solidarity, Sustainability, Local, and Culture.

• Purity
  • Sourced from the ancient springs in Europe (historical records trace these springs back to Roman times in 400 BC), Monacqua is a naturally mineral-rich water, amongst the purest on the market. With zero nitrates and zero arsenic, the water source is completely free of pollution, fertilisers, and contamination. Packaged with care and purpose in both glass and carton formats, Monacqua brings the integrity of nature directly to the table.
• Solidarity
  • Since its inception, Monacqua has partnered with the Princess Grace Foundation to help fund life-saving medical equipment and housing support for families of terminally ill children. As one of Monaco’s most respected philanthropic institutions, the Foundation, under the leadership of the Princess of Hanover, plays a vital role in improving the lives of vulnerable families across the region.
  • Founded in 1964, the Foundation preserves the legacy of Princess Grace of Monaco by supporting projects in the fields of arts, education, and humanitarian outreach. In the realm of children’s health, the Foundation has contributed to building paediatric oncology units, supplying incubators for neonatal intensive care, and sponsoring therapeutic programmes that ease the suffering of young patients and their families. A part of the proceeds of every bottle sold goes directly toward supporting these humanitarian efforts.

“Several years ago, Geeta Kalwani proposed a collaboration between her Monaco-based start-up, Monacqua, and the Princess Grace Foundation. The Foundation’s Board of Directors, chaired by H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover, was convinced by the proposal. Monacqua is an ethical company that promotes fair trade and is deeply committed to the responsible use and recycling of the planet’s resources. These values are fully shared by the Princess Grace Foundation. In addition, Monacqua makes an annual contribution to the Foundation, helping to strengthen the support provided to paediatric hospitals in France, notably by funding the stay of parents at the bedside of their seriously ill children. The Princess Grace Foundation is proud to be associated with Monacqua, a company that continues to grow year after year, and thanks them for the valuable support they provide.” — Caroline O’Conor, Administrative Director, Princess Grace Foundation

• Sustainability
  • Monacqua champions eco-conscious design through its packaging and production methods. Offered in both glass and paper-based carton formats, each material has been chosen with purpose: glass is the most inert and infinitely recyclable material for premium mineral water, while the cartons are made primarily from renewable materials and are 75% biodegradable.
  • When disposed of correctly in Monaco’s yellow bins, they are fully recyclable and can be transformed into new materials, ensuring a full-circle approach to packaging. According to research from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, marine plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues facing the Mediterranean today.
  • The company is on track to averaging 1,000,000 bottles sold annually across both formats, each one a plastic bottle that was never made.
• Local
  • Monacqua is a proudly Monegasque brand, born in Monaco, for Monaco. Every purchase keeps money within the Principality, contributing to the circular economy that Monaco is actively building. Moreover, Monacqua now accepts payments on Carlo. By choosing Monacqua, you support a small, independent local business and contribute to the Principality’s vision of a greener, more sustainable future.
• Culture
  • Monacqua believes that our everyday lives can be touched by joy when it is infused with art, design, and culture. This philosophy is reflected in the brand’s collaborations with some of the world’s most defining cultural figures, beginning with artist George Condo in 2025, and now with Lord Norman Foster. By partnering with one of the defining architects of our time, Monacqua brings the luxury of culture into everyday life.

A Commitment to Excellence

Lord Norman Foster x Monacqua

Starting 9th April 2026, Monacqua will make the work of Lord Norman Foster, one of the world’s most celebrated architects, accessible through a special collaboration that unites design excellence with everyday life.

Unchanged pricing: Unlike most art collaborations, these limited-edition bottles will be priced at our regular rates so that everyone, not just collectors, can engage with global culture.

Lord Norman Foster & Monaco

Lord Norman Foster’s relationship with Monaco is one of the most consequential architectural partnerships the Principality has known. Over two decades, Foster + Partners have left an indelible mark on Monaco’s built environment, shaping its harbour, its coastline, and its vision for the future.

The Yacht Club de Monaco (2014)

Foster + Partners’ most celebrated contribution to Monaco is the Yacht Club de Monaco, completed in 2014 and widely regarded as the symbolic centrepiece of the Principality’s remodelled harbour front.

Conceived by Lord Norman Foster as “a city in microcosm”, the building brings together a clubroom, restaurants, a double-height ballroom, guest cabins, event spaces, a rowing club, and Monaco’s sailing school — which forms part of the national teaching curriculum — all under one roof.

Built on reclaimed land that extended the existing marina eastwards into the Mediterranean, the 204-metre-long structure features tiered, deck-like terraces that step up along the harbour to offer unrivalled views of races at sea and, inland, over the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit.

The building is a landmark in sustainable design. Photovoltaic cells, solar thermal panels, and a sea-water cooling system power the structure using Monaco’s abundant natural resources. Sail-like canopies shade the terraces in summer, the glass facades open fully for natural ventilation, and locally sourced materials — including European oak for the terraces — were used throughout.

Monaco Yacht Show (2025)

Foster + Partners’ connection to Monaco extends beyond architecture into the world of nautical design. In September 2025, the practice unveiled the Outlier I — an 88-metre megayacht concept developed in collaboration with naval architecture specialist Lateral, and specifically conceived as a showcase for the Monaco Yacht Show.

The concept’s key innovation is the relocation of the engine room towards the bow, freeing up the middle and aft sections for double and triple-height living spaces naturally lit by floor-to-ceiling glazing.

A central atrium brings daylight deep into the hull, while a glass lift and spiral staircase connect the social levels. The result offers approximately 40 per cent more deck space than standard yachts in its class — including a swimming pool and helipad typically reserved for vessels over 90 metres.

Lord Norman Foster’s Biography

Lord Norman Foster was born in Reddish, Stockport, near Manchester, England, in 1935. Growing up in austere post-war Britain, he was a frequent visitor to the local library and later used to cycle around the city at lunchtime to study buildings and spaces that captured his imagination. His affinity for the bicycle has never left him: now 90, he still cycles and cross-country skis regularly, and has completed cycling marathons across Europe.

His early exposure to the industrial landscape of Manchester was an introduction to the relationship between structure and space. These early influences continue to inform his work today.

His early career was notably influenced by Buckminster Fuller’s philosophy of doing more with less. He studied at the University of Manchester and then Yale School of Architecture on a Henry Fellowship.

He went on to co-found Team 4 with Richard Rogers, Georgie Wolton, and Wendy Cheesman in 1963, before establishing Foster Associates (later Foster + Partners) in 1967 with his late wife, Wendy. Over the ensuing six decades, he has cemented his place as one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century.

His buildings are landmarks across continents. Iconic works include 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin) and the Millennium Bridge in London, the Hearst Tower in New York, and Apple Park in Cupertino — designed in close collaboration with Steve Jobs.

In 1999, he was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize — the profession’s highest honour. He is also a recipient of the Order of Merit, one of the most exclusive honours in the world, restricted to no more than 24 living recipients and appointed solely at the personal discretion of the Sovereign in the UK.

In 2023, the largest retrospective spanning the oeuvre of Norman Foster’s work over the last six decades was held at the Centre Pompidou.

Interview with Geeta Kalwani – Founder of Monacqua

How did this collaboration come to life?

After the privilege of working with George Condo, an artist whose generosity and brilliance left a lasting mark on Monacqua, I wanted to introduce a new genre of culture. Architecture felt like the natural next step. Lord Norman Foster is held in the highest regard, and being British, even more so.

When I discovered that his birthday falls on the same day as mine, I took it as a sign. His team, understandably, had many questions. After a long period of reflection, he agreed; we were so thrilled that he did.

Is there a moment from this collaboration that stood out for you?

There is one moment I will certainly be sharing as an anecdote for years to come. In preparing our initial materials, we had used “Lord Norman Foster,” out of respect for his full and rightful title.

He reviewed everything and noted that while he was happy with the direction, he had one specific request: we were to remove the word “Lord.”

It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes about his character. To put that in context, he is a recipient of the Order of Merit, arguably the most exclusive honour in the world, restricted to just 24 living members and appointed at the personal discretion of the Sovereign. For someone of that stature to choose such simplicity was a profound lesson in grace and humility for our entire team.

How would you describe the spirit of this limited edition?

The image on this bottle is Lord Norman Foster’s own sketch of the Yacht Club de Monaco and was selected as a tribute to his architectural vision of one of the most celebrated structures on the French Riviera.

For us, as residents, it is a privilege to live alongside the Yacht Club in all its splendour and an equal privilege to hold, on this bottle, the rawness of the drawing that first imagined it. There is something very personal about a hand-drawn image, a closeness to the mind at work.

I particularly love the subject, as it speaks to the meeting of two things I hold dear: the sea and sustainability.

How has Monaco embraced Monacqua?

Monacqua is most grateful for the warm reception by the Principality. When we informed H.S.H. Prince Albert II of our collaboration with Lord Norman Foster, we received a letter from Him expressing His conviction that it would honour Monacqua’s bottles while “appuyant votre engagement en faveur du rayonnement culturel de la Principauté” — supporting Monacqua’s commitment to the cultural influence of the Principality.

Perhaps the most extraordinary testament to Monacqua’s role in the Principality occurred on the 28th of March 2026. During the historic visit of Pope Leo XIV, the first in five centuries, the Government of Monaco anonymously purchased Monacqua to provide 15,000 bottles for the attendees at the stadium.

We learned of the State’s choice only after the fact, when friends and clients began sending us photographs of the bottles in the crowd. We were numb with joy.

Simon de Pury, in his quintessential style, made us smile with his comment: “In less than two years, and in no small part thanks to its stellar artist collaborations, Monacqua has already attained cult status. It took Château Mouton Rothschild a little longer.”

Practical Information

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Maureen Audetto
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