Quiet Spaces

An elegant presentation of interiors for introverts, placing the memorable work of London architect William Smalley alongside buildings around the world that have inspired his practice. Quiet spaces showcase the work of architect William Smalley alongside spaces that have influenced him. These are places of private contemplation—calm spaces to read a book or listen to music, to walk through, or simply to be in. They achieve a rare sense of repose and peace. From his own Bloomsbury apartment and projects in the UK, France, and New York, the book expands to include the work of other architects: a sixteenth-century villa by Palladio, houses in Mexico and Sri Lanka, and the Secular Retreat in Devon by Swiss master architect Peter Zumthor. There are also places for making and displaying art: simplicity in Barbara Hepworth's garden and studio in Cornwall, and intimacy in Kettle's Yard gallery in Cambridge. Specially commissioned photography by Harry Crowder conveys the atmosphere of the spaces. A foreword by acclaimed potter and writer Edmund de Waal reflects on the small, unspoken ways in which we relate to buildings and how they come to have meaning for us.