John Pawson: Plain Space Hardcover -

John Pawson was born in 1949 in Yorkshire. After spending several years in Japan and studying at the Architecture Association in London, he established his own practice in 1981. From the outset his work focused on ways of approaching fundamental problems of space, proportion, light and materials, rather than on developing a set of stylistic mannerisms - themes he also explored in his book Minimum, first published by Phaidon in 1996, which examines the notion of simplicity in art, architecture and design across a variety of historical and cultural contexts. His many residential and commercial interiors have included homes for the writer Bruce Chatwin and the opera director Pierre Audi as well as art galleries and stores in London, Dublin New York, Paris, Seoul and Tokyo. Subsequent projects have spanned a wide range of scales and building typologies, from stage sets and exhibitions to boats and airport lounges, and include such diverse projects as the new Cistercian monastery of Our Lady of Novy Dvur in Bohemia and the Sackler Crossing, a bridge over the lake at Kew's Royal Botanic Gardens.

Alison Morris is a writer, specializing in the field of architecture and design. Following an English degree at Cambridge University and a brief period of postgraduate work at King's College, London, she spent a number of years teaching. In 1998 she joined the Pawson team, where she has remained close to the heart of the architectural process for more than a decade. Alongside the day-to-day work of the practice, she is regularly involved in the preparation of exhibitions and publishing projects. In 2002 she edited the catalogues for the VIII Venice Architecture Biennale, under the directorship of Deyan Sudjic.