In the past when people did not own much, it was luxurious to have things, hence people were attracted to decorative design. But times are changing. People are overwhelmed by amount of information and products. Cities are overcrowded with people and objects. Things are not scarce but the space is.
His own house is pretty much a standard house in London, but it has got a large storage. More storage signifies that the space can be with less stuff, creating empty space to think and breath. It depends on what kind of person you are but innovation can happen in a messy room full of things but it can also happen in a clear and empty room. Personally I think I would prefer the latter and how Pawson organizes houses suggested me of how I want to live. Physical order is calming.
His design is quite ordinary in the sense that they often have pretty standard rectangular shapes. The money and thinking are put more in the use of materials than in the forms. Plus, since it's architecturally less and there are less things to deal with, Pawson can really pay attention to details. The 1:1 space that he built within the exhibition was the perfect place to experience the rich smell of the wood and how details of his design (lighting, colors, material etc...) was considered well. Pawson's works are very minimal, but at the same time there are something luxurious about them. I'm not sure about public buildings or other architectural buildings or at least that's how I want my house to be: simplicity, clear spacing and with rich material.
物が溢れる現代社会では、「物がある」ことよりも、「スペースがある」方が贅沢なのではないか、というのがJohn Pawsonの建築の根源。
彼の建築に観られるミニマリズムとは「引き算の美学」ではなく、「最高級の贅沢」。
何を贅沢と思うかの哲学の提案。
ライフスタイルとして、クリアなスペースの中で勉強や生活をしたい。
ただ、「なにもない」デザインにも関わらず、無機質で冷たい印象ではなくて、暖かみがあり落ち着く建築となっているから素敵。
How Pawson uses lights is incredible and his work always seem to give poetic impression. My favorite of all is Novy Dvur, and that in particular is incredibly poetic.
All photos from www.johnpawson.com, Courtesy John Pawson Ltd