John Pawson Works Paperback – 23 May 2005

A present for my husband who studies Interior Design. He loved it!!!!

I have never ordered this

Architect John Pawson set a standard and followed his dreams of a particular type of rendition for life and culture.Some of us also realized this potential of the spaces he was creating and are devoted students, learners, colleagues.The first time I saw his work was in a book (Phaidon Press, minimum)and I was so captivated by it, The simplicity of organizing spaces, detailing and the overall 'punch-less beauty'.There are two types of books for architectural digest, 1. Imagery, followed by a bit of explanation and2. Books explaining a work through words, this is mostly for academics.Pawson's work is tactile and graphical and no one can understand architecture clearly through words and phrases.This is where this book fails, The inspiration almost naught.Phaidon's books are wonderful productions, graphically stunning and pleasing but this particular one puts me to sleep.In Architectural books, Customers need graphics to inspire to something good rather than imagine what the actual product is all about through the interpretation of someone else. The book should have had 95% imagery, plans, sketches, architectural photographs. If one rushes through the book it is all about supersimple-details like a faucet, sink bowl, a blandly painted wall which are blown completely out of proportion to the images which should be actually showcasing "SPACE". The small details are great (I guess) but they need not have become so large, how many seconds (or minutes) does one need to study a hole in a sink bowl.I am too worried about purchasing another Pawson Book as it seems a waste of hard-earned money.

Although John Pawson is typically described as a minimalist architect, this is a simplification.In terms of minimalism, although his style is certainly stripped down, when commissioned to work on a monastery the monks were worried that it might be too austere for them, it does have a very high end finish applied to it. This is not a book full of stripped back plywood boxes, but sleek luxury faced in mahogany or bespoke stone finishes.In terms of being an architect, my reading is that he never fully qualified, and most of his work is more about layouts and interiors, than old style architecture.He is however one of the people who currently influence modern taste, and he has a lot of interesting ideas.I am certainly not a Pawson fan, as Deyan Sudjic himself notes, it does not tend to photograph well, you probably need to experience it, rather than try to live it vicariously through a glossy photo. However, Sudjic provides a splendid discursive account of Pawson, his works, and tends to digress entertainingly onto the delights of Long Island luxury or the challenges facing retailers. The tone is that of a good long magazine article, rather than a dry scholarly account.The book is pretty short, it won't take too long to read, and the text is in a stylish grey, which can vanish into the page if you have tired eyes. Otherwise, highly recommended, as a readable and entertaining account of an intriguing figure in modern architecture and taste.

For the last 10 years I have followed the work of this man, however with the exception of minimum, books on his work have been few & far between. Works brings together ten projects spanning both the commercial & residential aspects of pawson's work. Taking views from the architect, client & critic, it is interesting to read different approaches & reactions to his work. Living in a minimalist barn myself,I was relieved to read that even pawson himself has to adjust to live in this most demanding yet stimulating of environments. I look forward to his next work, although with the content & breath taking photography of this volume, it will certainly be a hard act to follow.

Brilliant! His book is well made with good drawings. Could be a bit more insigntfull but nevertheless is great.