The London-based minimalist designer John Pawson is best known for his collaborations with Studio 54 honcho turned hotelier Ian Schrager—on Miami's Edition hotel, a Gramercy Park-facing penthouse, and Schrager's own pad at NYC's 40 Bond—but now he's gone in a more pious direction. The designer was tasked with renovating a 1000-year-old church in the Bavarian hamlet of Augsburg. The Moritzkirche retained its traditional form, but had all extraneous details removed, including the stained glass windows—which were replaced with translucent panels of onyx—and the wooden altar. Lest anyone get to thinking that a thousand years of history were erased to produce this minimalist masterpiece: the church was nearly leveled during World War II and was rebuilt in the 1950s using the original exterior walls.
· St Moritz Church by John Pawson [Dezeen]
· Ian Schrager Approved Every Gray-Beige Flooring Plank in NYC Pad [Curbed National]
· Neighboring Penthouse Enjoys Gramercy Park Hotel Services [Curbed National]
· Check Out The Pawson/Schrager Designed Marriott Edition [Curbed National]