John Pawson on Minimalism as a Way of Life

For the British architect John Pawson, minimalism isn’t just a design philosophy, but a life philosophy—with his 1996 book, Minimum, serving as a defining jumping-off point. Over the course of more than four decades, Pawson has quietly amassed a global following by distilling spaces, objects, and things down to their most essential. With projects ranging from his career-defining Calvin Klein Collection flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York City, completed in 1995, to a remote monastery complex in the Czech Republic he’s been building for Cistercian monks of the Trappist order for more than 25 years; from hotels in Los Angeles, Madrid, and Tel Aviv to London’s Design Museum; from private homes in Colorado, Greece, Japan, Sweden, and beyond, to a chair and cookware; from lamps and linens to doorknobs, bowls, to even a steak knife, Pawson’s tightly focused yet seemingly boundless practice places him in a category all his own.

On the episode—our fourth “site-specific” taping of Time Sensitive, recorded at Pawson’s country home in the Cotswolds—he discusses the problems he sees with trying to turn minimalism into a movement; his deep-seated belief in restraint, both in life and in architecture; and his humble, highly refined approach to creating sacred spaces.

Special thanks to our Season 11 presenting sponsor, L’École, School of Jewelry Arts.

Show notes:

[08:06] Tetsuka House (2005)

[08:06] “John Pawson’s Approach to Making Life Simpler”

[08:06] Shiro Kuramata

[08:06] Katsura Imperial Villa

[08:06] North York Moors

[12:41] “Minimum” (1996)

[12:41] Sen no Rikyū

[17:35] Calvin Klein Collections Store (1995)

[17:35] Ian Schrager

[17:35] Paul Goldberger

[17:35] Cathay Pacific (1998)

[20:59] “Elements of Style” (1959) by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

[20:59] “Plain Space” (2010)

[20:59] Raymond Carver

[23:08] Bruce Chatwin

[23:08] “Wabi”

[23:08] Chatwin Apartment (1982)

[26:26] Deyan Sudjic

[28:12] Ryōan-ji

[31:11] “John Pawson: Making Life Simpler” (2023)

[30:16] Neuendorf House (1989)

[30:16] Tilty Barn (1995)

[37:19] Claudio Silvestrin

[37:51] Philip Johnson

[40:49] Home Farm (2019)

[40:49] “Home Farm Cooking” (2021)

[47:18] Bill Brandt

[55:46] Hester van Royen Apartment (1981)

[56:36] Casa Malaparte

[56:36] Mies van der Rohe

[56:36] Barcelona Pavilion

[59:356] The Design Museum (2016)

[59:356] Farnsworth House

[59:356] “Inside the Brick House, Philip Johnson’s Private Playground”

[1:02:26] Pawson House (1999)

[1:05:53] The Feuerle Collection (2016)

[1:10:33] Abbey of Our Lady of Nový Dvůr (2004)

[1:21:54] Pieter Jansz. Saenredam