'john pawson: making life simpler'

‘John Pawson: Making Life Simpler’ by Deyan Sudjic

Global publisher Phaidon presents John Pawson: Making Life Simpler, a visual biography exploring the British architect’s three-decade-long career through the buildings he designed, the clients he worked with, and the art that moved him. Written by critic and curator Deyan Sudjic, and richly illustrated with Pawson’s own photography and ephemera, the book charts the architect’s unconventional route to architecture, a route shaped by the lasting impression made on him by the simple stone buildings of his native Halifax and the Methodist traditions of his family.

all images courtesy of Phaidon Press

charting pawson’s unconventional path to architecture

In the introduction, author Deyan Sudjic (see more here) writes: ‘One of the reasons why John Pawson’s work continues to resonate beyond the sometimes narrow world of architecture is that he is fascinated as much by what happens inside his buildings as by the buildings themselves.’

Indeed, with over thirty years of practice, Pawson’s work celebrates the fundamentals of architecture through simple and modest strokes. From monastic buildings and private houses to galleries, museums, hotels, ballet sets, and yacht interiors, his projects carefully unites and balances nine pillars: mass, volume, surface, proportion, junction, geometry, repetition, light, and ritual.

Beyond his architectural mark, the book also follows Pawson’s journey within the worlds of fashion and art. After an attempt at running a fashion business, the biography recounts the pivotal importance of the four years he spent living in Japan. There, he was inspired by the experience of spending time with the celebrated designer Shiro Kuramata who convinced him to study to become an architect at the age of 30. But, impatient to start building, he left the Architectural Association without a diploma to begin on a series of commissions from the London art world, including galleries for Leslie Waddington and a studio for the artist Michael Craig-Martin.

Neuendorf House (1987-1989)

Through the lens of Pawson’s relationships with a remarkable range of creative clients, including fashion designers Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, and Christopher Kane, the writer Alain de Botton, as well as Ian Schrager, author of the revolution in hotel design, the book showcases and pays tribute to the full range of his inspiring work. You can pre-order John Paswon: Making Life Simpler on Phaidon’s website.

Tilty Barn (1994-1995)