John Pawson launches new furniture with Dinesen
British architectural designer John Pawson collaborates with Dinesen to present Pawson Furniture Collection, a result of their three-decade relationship
Danish wood manufacturer Dinesen has announced a bespoke furniture collection with British architectural designer John Pawson. The fruit of a partnership of three decades, the Pawson Furniture Collection continues an enduring collaboration that has shaped the implementation of joinery and its place in contemporary design. As Thomas Dinesen puts it: 'John Pawson has in many ways changed our relationship with the “plank”, from a restoration material for historic buildings to a design element in modern architecture.'
John Pawson and Dinesen present the Pawson Furniture Collection
Starting their relationship in 1992, Dinesen and Pawson first collaborated on a flooring project for the designer’s private home in Notting Hill, leading to a furniture collection for the eponymous Pawson House. Sparked from Pawson’s insight into flooring as a crucial and yet often overlooked part of interior design, the bespoke collection was brought to life using planks of the same dimensions as the floorboards themselves; providing the appearance that they had been lifted directly out of the floor. Drawing on Dinesen’s historic woodworking expertise, and Pawson’s own minimalist influences from Japanese architect and designer Shiro Kuramata, the work became a foundation on which to build their longstanding partnership.
Featuring designs from this period, alongside contemporary additions, the new collection of furniture includes ‘The Dining Series’, which encompasses a dining table, a bench, and a stool, each originally drawn in 1992, and adjusted to modern sensibilities with an added shadow gap detail in the dining table. Combining Douglas fir planks with a slender insert of Dinesen Oak, this subtle update completes the piece with a sleek and refined finish.
Alongside its established work, ‘The Lounge Collection’ acts as a complementary addition to the original series. A multi-layered collaboration that brought in skilled Danish cabinet makers with upholstery materials from local textile company Kvadrat, it includes a lounge chair, a lounge table, a sofa, and a daybed, each made from Solid Douglas wood. Every piece in the series is made to order, allowing some participation from the customer in choosing their desired textile from Kvadrat’s library.
However, whilst the Pawson Furniture Collection certainly marks an achievement in the prosperous relationship between the acclaimed designer and timber manufacturer, the work on display is also indicative of Pawson’s own distinct sensibility.
The latest in a celebrated catalogue of work, the collection is a chance to become personally acquainted with Pawson’s ideas and design principles. He explains: 'When I look at this new furniture collection for Dinesen, I see the essence of the thinking that has shaped my work since the beginning. Everything about these pieces is pared back to the logic and poetry of the wood. The dimensions of the timber determine the proportions of the forms and then it’s all about the inherent sensory character of the material.'
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jasper Spires is a contributor to Wallpaper*, writing features exploring modern art and design practices. Having worked for FAD Magazine and a number of leading publications in contemporary culture, he has covered the arts in London and Paris, and regularly interviews curators and creators across Europe. He has also written features on fashion and poetry.
-
2024's most visually-arresting films
The best films of the year merged inventive narratives with transportive visuals. Here are Wallpaper's top 10 of 2024.
By Nick Levine Published
-
Casa Dragones' 'Quiote Bar' evokes the essence of agave fields and terroir'
Casa Dragones' Quiote Bar is designed by Gloria Cortina who blended modernity and myth to create a tequila bar inspired by a flowering stalk of the agave plant
By Henrietta Thompson Published
-
Year in review: the top 10 cars of 2024, selected by transport editor Jonathan Bell
What are our cars of the year? We’ve scoured the archives to unveil the machines that most impressed us over the past 12 months, from retro revivals to high-tech EVs
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
First look: Western Mongolia meets Kew Gardens in John Pawson and Oyuna Tserendorj’s cashmere throws
Architectural designer John Pawson and cashmere designer Oyuna Tserendor have collaborated on a cashmere throw collection inspired by Pawson’s 70m Lake Crossing in the Royal Botanical Gardens
By Scarlett Conlon Published
-
John Pawson designs architectural oil lantern for Swedish brand Wästberg
By Ali Morris Last updated
-
Having a Thing: the props, pillars and peculiarities of personal brand building
By Tony Chambers Published
-
Editor-in-Chief Tony Chambers recalls 1996, a very good year for champagne and creativity
By Tony Chambers Last updated
-
Small wonder: London’s new Design Museum opens its bijou boutique
By Elly Parsons Last updated
-
Top 20 (design-minded) architects: the A-listers who have thought small and occasionally wiggly
Architects have long turned their hand to product design. Here are the A-listers who have thought small and occasionally wiggly
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated