John Pawson: Making Life Simpler

Publisher: Phaidon

The only comprehensive book on the fascinating life and work of the celebrated architectural designer, John Pawson.

This visual biography brings together John Pawson’s architecture, life, clients, travel, photography, design, books, and ideas. Written by Deyan Sudjic, an architectural historian and long-time friend, it explores the full scope of Pawson’s life, from his Yorkshire upbringing and time spent in Japan to the fashion years and the influence of art, and provides a thoughtful and intimate insight into his life, inspirations, and work.

It features wonderfully engaging stories and anecdotes about Pawson's work with such clients as Bruce Chatwin, Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Shiro Kuramata, Martha Stewart, and many more. The book features documents, photography and ephemera, including never-seen-before images from Pawson's personal and professional archives – richly illustrated, this is the ultimate book on John Pawson.

The author, Deyan Sudjic, is Director Emeritus of London’s Design Museum, and Distinguished Professor of Architecture and Design Studies at Lancaster University. A co-founder of Blueprint magazine, Sudjic also edited Domus magazine and has been the architecture critic for The Sunday Times, the Guardian and the Observer. He was the director of the Venice Architecture Biennale, and has curated exhibitions in Copenhagen, Istanbul, and Seoul.

Publication: April 2023

Hardcover 296 pages

245 x 315 mm (12 x 9 3/8 inches)

English language only