I.M.Pei, Born Being A Greatest Archtect

I.M. Pei's Pyramid from Below, photo by John Weiss

I can not remember when I started interesting in Mr. Pei's life story and his architectural works. You may not believe that when visited the Louvre thirteen years ago, I even didn't know he designed the beautiful glass pyramid entrance for the iconic building. But I am always fascinated by the beautiful architectures most likely because my uncle, his son and my older brother all work in this professional field, even my young nephew right now.  

Several years ago, I went to New York City attending my graduate school. And the big apple opened my eyes for the wonderful architectural world! By accident, I discovered one biographic book of Pei at a library, and then I started strolling around the whole Manhattan from uptown to downtown to find out the buildings designed by him. I went to Kips Bay area where Mr. Pei started his architectural career in New York City. I went to see the Four Seasons Hotel, the tallest hotel building in NYC, which was also designed by Mr. Pei, I looked around the uptown where Mr. Pei is living...I agree with him that New York City is not the most beautiful city but it's the most vibrant city in the world.  

I. M. Pei(full name: Ieoh Ming Pei, 贝聿銘) was born in China on April 26, 1917, Canton, Guangzhou. When he was 17 years old, he traveled to the United States, initially attending the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia before transferring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1940.

Pei soon continued his studies at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, where he had the opportunity to study with German architect and founder of the Bauhaus design movement Walter Gropius. During World War II, Pei took a break from his education to work for the National Defense Research Committee. In 1944, he returned to Harvard and earned his master's degree in architecture two years later. Around this time, Pei also worked an assistant professor at the university.

Kennedy Library and Museum

 
In 1948, Pei joined New York-based architectural firm Webb & Knapp, Inc., as its director of architecture. In 1955 he left to start his own firm, I. M. Pei & Associates (now known as Pei Cobb Freed & Partners). One of his first major projects was the Mile High Center in Denver, Colorado. Pei also devised several urban renewal plans for areas of Washington, D.C., Boston and Philadelphia around this time.

In the years following the death of President John F. Kennedy, Pei met with his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, on the designs for his presidential library. The project, built in Dorchester, Massachusetts, met several challenges over the years, including a change in location. Completed in 1979, the library is a nine-story modern structure that features glass and concrete. Pei also designed a later addition to the site.

The Entrance of the Louvre, Paris of France

 
Following the dedication of the Kennedy library, Pei continued to create wondrous buildings around the world, including the west wing of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (1980) and the Fragrant Hill Hotel in China (1983). In 1983, he was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize for his contributions to his field. In their official announcement, the committee recognized his ability to "draw together disparate people and disciplines to create an harmonious environment." Pei used his prize money to create a scholarship for Chinese students to study architecture in the United States.

During this time, Pei also began work on revitalizing Paris's Louvre museum. The new, and controversial, entrance he created for the world-famous structure has since become one of the most iconic representations of his work. Pei had visitors descend into the museum through a large glass pyramid, which took them to a new level below the existing courtyard.

The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha Port, Doha, Qatar

 
Pei continued to design impressive buildings during the 1990s, including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. 

For more than 60 years, Pei has been one of the world's most sought-after architects and has handled a wide range of commercial, government and cultural projects. He created Chicago's Hyatt Center, completed in 2005, and the Musée d'Art Moderne in Kirchberg, Luxembourg, completed in 2006.

Now in his 90s, Pei still maintains an active work schedule. In India, he has several designs in process, including Mumbai's Lodha Place. He is also working on Los Angeles's Century Plaza, Fordham University's Lincoln Center Campus in New York and the Charles Darwin Centre in Darwin, Australia.

With a unique west-east perspective, Mr. Pei see the world differently. He said in one book: “In the West, a window is a window, it lets in light and fresh air. But to the Chinese, it's a picture frame. And the garden is always there.”

    
Learn more about I.M.Pei, please go to Bio.