John Pawson: Plain Space, by Alison Morris (Phaidon 2010), offers a perfect introduction to those unfamiliar with the work of architect John Pawson.
John Pawson’s distinctive approach to architecture combines the rigorous pursuit of simplicity with keen attention to the details of everyday life. Over the course of the last decade, the Pawson office has applied its vision of architecture stripped back to the fundamental qualities of space, proportion, light and materials to a new range of scales and typologies. For the past ten years, author Alison Morris has been engaged as a writer in the Pawson office. Plain Space draws on the uniquely personal perspective her experiences have brought, both on the work and on the people behind it. Through a series of thematic essays and narrative project descriptions, the author examines the office’s day-to-day working methods, the various stages of the design process and the intricacies of the relationship between architect and client. She also reflects on the challenge, three decades on from the first apartments for the art dealer Hester van Royen and the writer Bruce Chatwin, of amassing a body of work that continues to push at the boundaries but remains true to the original vision. Extensively illustrated with photographs showing both the process and the finished projects, alongside detailed drawings, Plain Space offers a perfect introduction to those unfamiliar with the work of John Pawson and intriguing new insights for those whose interest is longstanding. The book will also appeal to anyone curious about the human narratives underlying the practice of architecture and design.
– Alison Morris, John Pawson: Plain Space (Phaidon, 2010), excerpt from the book description
The text is in English. The book is profusely illustrated with photographs and architectural drawings.
Our copy is in very good condition. The pages are clean; no markings. The binding is fine. The dust jacket shows only some minor edge wear.
