John Pawson on minimalism and his late start in architecture at Gaggenau talk

British architectural designer John Pawson discussed his unconventional path into architecture during a talk titled 'The Art of Simplicity' at Gaggenau's installation 'Presence' in Villa Necchi Campiglio's glass house during Milan Design Week 2026. Hosted and filmed by Dezeen, the conversation with editorial director Max Fraser covered Pawson's early life, including teaching English in Nagoya, Japan, and considering becoming a Zen Buddhist monk. He revealed he initially thought his inability to do maths precluded him from architecture, and only began studying at age 30 after working for his father and traveling. Pawson's photographs from his time in Japan later became the 2017 book 'Spectrum' published by Phaidon Press. He embraced his 'Mr Minimalism' label, stating he is the only architect who 'owns up to it,' but stressed he is not a proselytizer. His studio remains around 20 people, half with him for 25 years, and avoids competitions to maintain scale. He emphasized the importance of enjoying work, having not been bored for 40 years. Gaggenau, founded in 1683 and based in Germany, has 60 flagships worldwide. Dezeen previously partnered with Gaggenau for talks in 2022 and 2024 at the same venue, and more recently in Dubai.