A conversation with architect John Pawson

A British cliché: understatement. And proof of how true this cliché is: John Pawson. The architect from London is not just known for his quiet, concentrated buildings, which only reveal how much effort has gone into them at second glance.
He himself also relies on being a discreet presence in the background. But he knows how to spice this quiet presence up with his equally typical sharp British wit.

You just converted a Berlin bunker into an exhibition building for the Désiré Feuerle collection. What was the hardest part about this project?

There wasn’t a specific thing. The hardest part was the sheer size of the building. It is really huge. So we had to be careful with our planning decisions, financially speaking. For example, we had to think carefully about where we wanted to make cut-outs in the walls.

The walls are made of two-metre-thick reinforced concrete. It takes two weeks to drill through it. That puts quite a heavy strain on the budget. Fortunately, we didn’t need that many cut-outs. Routing through the building was quite easy.

What did you change during the conversion?

It was clear to me from the start that we would leave the building as-is. I liked it that way. The shape, the proportions, the concrete, it’s all wonderful, so monumental and massive. But of course it had to be cleaned and, above all, dried. There’s a lot of water in the bunker. That is not compatible with art. On the ground floor we put in white walls on the long sides, behind which there are heating and dehumidifying systems.

Another issue was lighting. We developed the lighting concept and the installation of the sculptures in close collaboration with Désiré Feuerle.

For a bunker, the building has a very open floor plan.

Yes, because it wasn’t built for people, but primarily for machines and telecommunications systems. It is also nice that there is an above-ground level and an underground level.

There are even windows in the facade on the ground floor, so you can see how thick the walls really are. But we sealed them. Natural daylight would not have been compatible with the mystical staging of the art.

Do you think it was a good idea to have a private art collection here?

Yes! I immediately fell in love with the building. And I found Désiré’s vision so incredible and bold. When I was here for the first time, I could already see how the rooms would look cleaned and with art on display. Today, however, I am sometimes amazed at how we did it, in retrospect. If I had known...

Can you say something about working with Désiré Feuerle, what the planning process was like?

I am very lucky with my clients because they are interesting personalities and I learn a lot from them. I can also listen better today than I used to. Maybe now I have more time and patience for it. Each of our projects, be it a private home, a museum or a hotel, is created in close collaboration with the client.

Of course they want us to tailor an architectural vision for them. That’s why every project is different; the client makes the difference. Désiré is really obsessed and passionate; he’s driven by the sculptures and their story. By collecting and exhibiting them.

And how did the collaboration with FSB come about? Did that happen during the conversion?

Yes. Of course, I knew FSB and had used the fittings in previous projects. Désiré wanted something special for the collection, a signature piece. Because people always ask me, ‘What were you doing here anyway?’

Well, we did a lot, but you just don’t see it. The door handle is a kind of emblem for the building. We took a historical model for the design and revised it and gave it this really beautiful bronze finish. The colour establishes the connection to some of the Chinese objects on display.

Why did you choose to revise the Reichsform handle by Hans Poelzig?

Because it has one of the simplest forms. On the one hand it is almost nakedly simple, but on the other hand it is soft, almost poetic.

I like to have it in my hand. You don’t want to let go of it. I think it was Gunnar Asplund who once said that your first encounter with a building is the moment you put your hand on the handle of the entrance door. Learn more about the bunker conversion in a closer look at the project in FSB’s reference portfolio.