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John Pawson

Barbican Apartment . London

John Pawson . Barbican Apartment . London afasia (3)

John Pawson . photos: © Gilbert McCarragher

The layout of this apartment in the heart of the City of London was previously fragmented into a series of separate elements, including four bedrooms. The architectural reimagining of the space began with the idea of paring away everything to a state of emptiness and using three axes from the underlying structure to shape the new geometry of the now one-bedroomed accommodation. A free-standing timber volume inserted within the core of the cleared floor plan houses a work area and also becomes the medium for quietly ordering all other elements of the programme. Five objects that the clients brought into the project — three paintings, a grandfather clock and a figure of the Buddha — serve as waypoints within the spatial narrative, alongside framed, elevated views out into the urban skyline. Continue reading John Pawson

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John Pawson

Family home . Kitzbühel

John Pawson . Family home . Kitzbühel afasia (1)

John Pawson . photos: © Oliver Jaist

The design is driven by the goal of creating a contemporary family home in a consistent modern idiom that also draws on recognisable historical precedents. The idea of breaking the programme into a cluster of smaller buildings developed early, as a way of allowing the required mass to sit as modestly as possible on the site. The architecture thus takes the form of a trio of barn–like structures set on a plinth, the volumes shifted relative to one another, to reinforce the fragmentation of the composition. Echoing the three mountains that form their backdrop, the three peaked roof profiles produce a distinctive silhouette that is refined and modern, but also clearly related to nearby vernacular structures. Continue reading John Pawson

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John Pawson

Valextra . Milan

John Pawson . Valextra . Milan afasia (1)

John Pawson . photos: © Valextra

The iconic via Manzoni space has been through several aesthetic reinventions, in parallel with the company own creative evolution. By tradition, the brand hands over the store to a different architect or designer every year, merging its luxury leather expertise with the worlds of design, art and architecture. Each creative voice who added to the Valextra story has contributed to the brand, s evolution and strengthened its artistic legacy. The past four years have represented an aesthetic journey through conceptual interventions, and each project has unveiled a new moment in the brand’s growth: designer Martino Gamper’s brilliant ingenuity, architect Bernard Dubois’ brutalist softness, American design duo Snarkitecture’s monochromatic experiential tactility and Japan architect Kengo Kuma’s ultimate interpretation of the natural world have forged the company’s identity to reveal a multifaceted, rich personality. Continue reading John Pawson