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

[59:35 6] The Design Museum (2016)

[59:35 6] Farnsworth House

[59:35 6] “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