John Pawson

Pawson House . London

John Pawson . minimalissimo . plain space

Planning regulations prohibited alterations to the front of this traditional nineteenth century row house in a conservation area in west London. Working within these restrictions, the design scoops out the interior in its entirety, leaving the protected façade untouched. Floor layouts are radically redrawn to give the maximum amount of unencumbered space, while cuts made to the envelope allow natural light into the full depth of the plan. At the top of the house a glazed slot running the length of the ceiling allows light to spill down a triple-height staircase. Outside the conventional street elevation gives only a tantalising glimpse of the new life which has been flipped into the frame of the old.

Pawson House
Catherine and John Pawson
London 1999