How Minimalism Ages

Can architecture affect a person and help create the most suitable environment for living, working, or resting, or does it depend more on the activity performed, which cannot be influenced by the space? Does a monk living in a monastery, or a visitor, whether believer or non-believer, seeking weekly comfort in the arms of God, perceive the monastery space the same way?

To answer these questions, we must find the user's perspective. We sought someone who had been a guest at the Novodvorský monastery and therefore spent some time there, allowing them to truly experience the building. We managed to find such people[5]. None of the respondents are architects, yet all of them expressed immense sensitivity and awareness.


At the beginning of the monastery's inception is a story without which this unique monastery could not have emerged in our territory. The abbey is exceptional not only because in our country churches are more often demolished than new monasteries established, but also for its minimalist architecture designed by the world-renowned architect John Pawson.

John Pawson set a main idea: to assist the monks in their vocation, to help concentrate on God. He wanted to create a timeless monastery primarily in terms of form that would serve for centuries. Through his architecture, he aims to eliminate all distractions in the monastic spaces. The space remains in as pure a form as possible, white and seamless.

The Monastery of Our Lady in Nový Dvůr is originally a baroque residence, a farm in the middle of fields, on the windiest hill in the distant surroundings. Architect Pawson expressed himself about this place: "I was amazed by the beauty of the existing architecture and its location amidst hectares of abandoned agricultural landscape and wooded hills."[1] One of the questions we asked our respondents was about the "farm-like" aspect of this building. Although it is a Cistercian architecture and the monastery must function as a farm, respondents agree that outwardly, it certainly does not look like a farm, even though it is indeed a functional farm. The Nový Dvůr monastery also received the main award from the Club for Old Prague for the best new building in a historical environment in 2005, particularly highlighting its excellent integration into the landscape.

The average visitor to the Novodvorsky monastery primarily sees the church during the regular evening mass called Vespers, which is an extraordinary and remarkably strong experience. The Trappists do not hide the fact that during their prayers they place great emphasis on aesthetics. To add to this, they are remarkably successful. During my personal visit, I was amazed by the unusual space, the light passing through the huge suspended concrete walls that create skylights. Therefore, one of the questions I asked our respondents pertained to their perception of the church. The answers to this question were somewhat contradictory; respondents have very different opinions. For some, it is a very good space for prayer, surprisingly cozy despite its size, while for others it is terrible, unwelcoming, cold, and dry. Perhaps this is precisely why this building is good; it is so strong that it evokes emotions in everyone. No one is indifferent to it. Isn't this typically a hallmark of exceptionally high-quality architecture?

Almost all respondents commented on the light in the church. They notice a particular play of light observable at certain times of day. John Pawson said: "For me, architecture is connected with a passion for spatial qualities."[3] However, does Mr. Pawson take into account how these spatial qualities are achieved? An article in the magazine Light discusses the lighting technique specifically in the Church of Our Lady, which suggests that these plays are connected with a very demanding technical background. Specifically, in each skylight, there are 29 fixtures, of which seven emit warm light and 22 emit white light. Additionally, there is directional lighting in the presbytery, where there are two types of halogen bulbs, four of each type, all with dimmable transformers.[4] Thus, it may be appropriate to quote Rostislav Švácha in an interview for the Construction Forum, who said: "It is more of a scenographic than an ontological architecture. It lacks the ontology - this word seems quite appropriate to me - that one would expect from a Cistercian monastery."[5]

I also encountered considerations about whether this is an ideal space for Christian monasticism. One of the respondents even stated that Pawson's architecture seems somewhat Japanese, unchristian, and therefore unconventional. Given John Pawson's five-year stay in Japan at the Shira Kuramata studio, this observation is somewhat valid. Pawson himself, in an interview regarding the construction of the Novodvorský monastery, said: "My years spent in Japan play a significant role here."[1] However, we find ourselves in the Czech Republic; is there really not much Japan here?

I further asked our respondents whether the monastery environment influences the spiritual life within it. Whether minimalist architecture helps guests, but especially monks, to detach from all worldly concerns, thus allowing them to fully devote themselves to God. John Pawson said on this topic: "The aim of monastic life is to concentrate on God. And that must be supported by monastic architecture."[6] Unfortunately, I did not receive responses from the Trappist monks themselves, so I could only work with the opinions of the guests. Answering this question was very difficult for most of our respondents; they repeatedly stressed that life in the monastery is not about the buildings, but about interpersonal and human-divine interactions that take place, among other things, within the buildings. Nevertheless, we did receive responses such as: The monastery environment definitely had a positive impact on my spiritual journey. It matters what environment a person finds themselves in. I believe that it influences us just as we can reshape it, or that the remoteness, simplicity, and yet stylishness of the building certainly makes an impact. On the other hand, one respondent wrote that the lives of the monks in this monastery are inspiring despite the architectural environment in which they live. However, I believe that such a distinctive architectural environment surely has an effect. Let us hope that it positively affects the monks themselves.

The Nový Dvůr monastery was consecrated in 2004. Some buildings age gracefully, while others change beyond recognition over time. Naturally, I was interested in how this particular building ages and whether there are any technical shortcomings. Almost all respondents agree that the building is too damp; there are visible stains from leaks in the church or falling plaster. The radiant whiteness today according to our respondents is rather replaced by a dullness. Already after just ten years, it seems that John Pawson's minimalism does not age gracefully, which is somewhat paradoxical since his essay Minimalism clearly indicates that he strives for architectural forms that remain interesting over time and exist beyond the forces of time and fashion.[3] How can Pawson's architecture be timeless when it does not seem to know how to age?

Furthermore, our respondents noted the inappropriate material of the floor in the church, which is too cold and uncomfortable for kneeling prayer, or the overflowing siphons when emptying the sinks in the kitchen. On the other hand, they positively evaluated the size and location of the altar, along which it is reportedly very easy to co-celebrate. It appears that Mr. Architect John Pawson has indeed diligently studied his models, which were the home monastery of the Trappists in Sept-Fons and the abbey of Le Thoronet in Provence.

We also encountered statements that Pawson's architecture is all made of drywall. Regarding this claim, we found photographs from the construction that suggest it might indeed be the case. Norbert Schmidt also mentions this in the book God's House and Heaven's Gate in the 20th Century, which raises these questions: Do those smooth surfaces really only seek to calm, not divert attention… or are they thoughtful shells hiding the truth? Does Pawson's hollow drywall reflect the truth of our "hollow" age, or is drywall simply hollow?[2] I add - is architecture that is falsely presented like this truly still quality architecture?

In conclusion, I dare to quote two statements from Dom Samuel, the abbot of the monastery, from an interview for the Salve magazine: "Beauty goes very well hand in hand with spiritual life, but not refined, taken-to-extremes beauty. It is necessary to have extreme simplicity and very functional places, so that monks do not waste time, because time for prayer fills all their free time. Whenever aesthetics has been established to the detriment of functionality, it has resulted in failure."[6]

"Properly formed emptiness of space and surface is not merely a negation of imagery, but its counterpoint. It relates to imagery much like silence relates to speech. Once a person opens themselves to it, they feel in it a mysterious Presence. It expresses the aspect of the sacred that cannot be captured by form and concept."[6]

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[1] Martin Valášek, Architecture in Space and Time, Contexts 1/2001, Interview with architect John Pawson
[2] Aleš Filip and Norbert Schmidt, God's House and Heaven's Gate in the 20th Century, Too Much Noise Around the Space of Silence? Reflections on the Monastery of Our Lady in Nový Dvůr, Center for the Study of Democracy and Culture (CDK), 2005
[3] Jana Tichá, Architecture: Body or Image?, texts on modern and contemporary architecture III, John Pawson: Minimalism, Golden Ratio 2009
[4] Jiří Pavelka, odborné časopisy.cz, magazine Light, Lighting of the Monastic Church of the Trappist Order in Nový Dvůr, URL: http://www.odbornecasopisy.cz/index.php?id_document=34920
[5] stavebni-forum.cz, Švácha: Strictness in Architecture Can Also Be Detrimental II, URL: http://www.stavebni-forum.cz/cs/article/5706/svacha-prisnost-v-architekture-muze-byt-i-na-skodu-ii/
[6] We did not abandon the vow of minimalism, interview with Don Samuel OCSO, Salve, 2004, no. 4, vol. 14, pp. 149-150