I’m delighted to be joined on the fourth episode of A Life Curated by internationally renowned minimalist architect John Pawson.

Born in Halifax and schooled at Eton, John spent time working for his family’s textile business before leaving for Japan in his mid-twenties, spending the final year in Tokyo where he visited the studio of Shira Kuramata, who was to be a huge influence on his career.

Inspired by the minimalistic aesthetic he had witnessed, and after a few pit stops around the world, including a dalliance with Liza Minelli in Australia and an attempt at becoming a monk, upon his return to the UK he enrolled at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, leaving in 1981 to set up his own practice.

Although private houses have remained at the core of his practice, John’s projects have been wide ranging including the Lake Crossing bridge at Kew Gardens, hotels for Aby Rosen, a flagship store for Calvin Klein, projects for Ian Schrager, Bruce Chatwin, Karl Lagerfeld, a Cistercian monastery in Bohemia, The Jaffa hotel in Israel, and in 2016 John designed the new Design Museum in London. Most recently John also designed the Claridge’s Artspace Gallery.

A recipient of a long list of awards, including a CBE in 2019 for services to design and architecture, John has also been published several times, including a foray into cook books, John’s latest book ‘Making Life Simpler ’published by Phaidon was released last month.

John is also an avid photographer, his photos being exhibited at 180 Strand in June 2022, as part of a ‘A Shade of Pale’ exhibition, the largest exhibition of photos per acreage ever exhibited.

Recorded from John’s office in King’s Cross, my name is Nolan Browne, I’m an art advisor with a podcast, this is A Life Curated.

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