John Pawson

AnexquisitepresentationofrenownedarchitectJohnPawson’srecentwork.JohnPawsonisanarchitectanddesignerwhoseexceptionalworkcombinesanessentialsimplicitywithakeenattentiontothedetailsofeverydaylifeandhumanexperience.Hispared-downyetluxurioushousesandartgallerieswerehisfirstprojectstogaininternationalattention,andhisworkhassinceincludedCalvinKlein'sflagshipstoreinNewYork,airportloungesforCathayPacific,andakitchenforObumex.Inthelastdecade,thescopeofhisdesignshasbroadenedfromobjectsandinteriorstoincludehouses,monasteries,pavilionsandboats.Thischangeinscalehasgivenhisofficetheopportunitytorefineitsminimalistaestheticandfurtherdevelopitsideasofafundamentalarchitecturebasedonthequalitiesofspace,proportion,lightandmaterials.Frequentlytheseprojectsinterveneinexistingconditionstocreatespacesthataresimultaneouslysimpleandcomplex,timelessandcontemporary:intheNovyDvurMonasteryintheCzechRepublic,elementsoftheoriginalbaroquecomplexarecombinedwithentirelynewarchitecturetocreateamysteriousandbeautifulsequenceofspaces,andintheBaronHouseinSwedenthevernacularlanguageoftheareaisrefinedandabstractedtocreateatrulymodernhome.InPlainSpace,authorAlisonMorrispresentsboththisrecentbodyofworkandearlierprojectsfromtheperspectiveofsomeonewhohashaduniqueaccesstotheworkandarchivesoftheoffice.Inthematicessaysandnarrativeprojectdescriptionssheexaminesthefirm'sworkingprocesses,relationshipwithclients,andapproachtodesign.TheseinsightsintohowPawsonandhisofficeapproachalldifferentkindsofprojects,includingacricketpavilion,aballetstageset,apartmentandboatinteriors,willbeofinteresttoarchitects,students,andanyonelookingtosimplifyandbeautifytheirownlivingspace.Filledwithexquisitephotographsanddetaileddrawings,PlainSpacewillbethenextmust-havebookforfansofJohnPawsonandaperfectintroductiontohisworkforanyoneinterestedintheabsolutebestofcontemporarydesign.