I. M. Pei
Early Life and Education
Ieoh Ming Pei, universally known as I. M. Pei, was born on April 26, 1917, in Guangzhou (Canton), China. He came from a prominent and affluent family; his father was a successful banker who would later become the director of the Bank of China. His mother was a devout Buddhist and a talented flutist.
Pei’s childhood was spent in Hong Kong and Shanghai, two of the most cosmopolitan and modern cities in Asia. He was exposed to both traditional Chinese culture and the influences of the West from a young age. He spent his summers in a traditional garden villa in Suzhou, a city famous for its classical gardens. These early experiences gave him a deep appreciation for the relationship between architecture and nature.
In 1935, at the age of 18, Pei moved to the United States to study architecture. He had originally intended to study at the University of Pennsylvania, but he was intimidated by the school’s emphasis on Beaux-Arts drawing. Instead, he enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
At MIT, he was initially disappointed by the school’s focus on historical styles. However, his discovery of the work of Le Corbusier was a revelation. He was deeply impressed by the European modernist’s radical ideas and his use of concrete. Pei graduated from MIT in 1940 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree.
After graduating, he intended to return to China, but the outbreak of World War II made that impossible. Instead, he enrolled in the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he studied under two of the founding fathers of the modern movement: Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus, and Marcel Breuer.
His time at Harvard was crucial to his development. He absorbed the principles of the International Style, with its emphasis on functionalism, rationalism, and the use of industrial materials. However, he also began to develop his own unique approach, one that sought to combine the abstract modernism of his European mentors with a greater concern for history, context, and the quality of public space.
During the war, he worked for the National Defense Research Committee, where he used his architectural skills to help design bombs. In 1948, after completing his Master of Architecture degree at Harvard, he was hired by the New York real estate developer William Zeckendorf to be the director of architecture at his firm, Webb & Knapp. This was an unusual career path for a promising young architect, but it gave Pei invaluable experience in the practical and political realities of large-scale urban development.
Architectural Philosophy and Career
I. M. Pei’s architectural philosophy is characterized by its elegance, its geometric clarity, and its masterful use of materials. He was a modernist who was deeply influenced by the principles of the International Style, but he was also a pragmatist who believed that architecture should be a response to its specific time and place.
His career began in the world of commercial real estate, where he spent twelve years working for William Zeckendorf. During this time, he oversaw the design of large-scale urban projects across the United States, such as the Mile High Center in Denver and the Place Ville Marie in Montreal. This experience gave him a deep understanding of the complexities of urban development and a lifelong interest in the creation of vibrant public spaces.
In 1955, he established his own independent practice, I. M. Pei & Associates, which would later become Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. His early independent work was a refinement of the modernist vocabulary he had learned at Harvard, with a focus on clean lines, simple geometric forms, and the expressive use of concrete.
Pei’s philosophy was rooted in a belief that architecture should be a form of public art. He was not interested in creating a personal or signature style; instead, he sought to create buildings that were appropriate for their function, their context, and their culture. He was a master of working with large, complex, and often controversial public commissions.
He was known for his meticulous attention to detail and his innovative use of materials. He was particularly known for his mastery of concrete, which he used to create powerful and sculptural forms. He was also a pioneer in the use of glass and steel, and his buildings are often characterized by their sophisticated and elegant curtain walls.
One of the defining features of Pei’s work is his use of simple, powerful geometric forms, such as the triangle, the circle, and the pyramid. He used these forms to create buildings that were both monumental and humane, both abstract and accessible.
His work is also characterized by its deep respect for history and context. While he was a committed modernist, he was not a dogmatist. He believed that modern architecture could and should engage in a dialogue with the past. His design for the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is a masterful example of this approach, as is his famous and controversial renovation of the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Notable and Famous Works
I. M. Pei’s portfolio includes some of the most iconic and celebrated buildings of the 20th century.
The East Building of the National Gallery of Art (1978) in Washington, D.C., is one of his most acclaimed works. The building is located on a challenging trapezoidal site, and Pei’s solution was to divide the site into two triangular sections: one for the galleries and one for a study center. The two sections are connected by a spectacular, sky-lit central atrium. The building is a masterpiece of geometric precision and a model of how to insert a modern building into a sensitive historical context.
The Grand Louvre (1989) in Paris is his most famous and controversial project. Pei’s commission was to reorganize and expand the historic Louvre Museum. His solution was to create a new, underground entrance lobby beneath the central courtyard, the Cour Napoléon, and to mark the entrance with a large glass and steel pyramid. The pyramid was initially met with fierce criticism, but it has since become a beloved landmark and a symbol of modern Paris.
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (1979) in Boston, Massachusetts, is a powerful and moving memorial to the late president. The building is a simple and dramatic composition of geometric forms: a triangular office tower, a circular exhibition space, and a large, sky-lit glass pavilion that looks out over the water.
The Bank of China Tower (1990) in Hong Kong is one of Pei’s most dramatic skyscrapers. The 72-story tower is a complex and sculptural building of glass and steel, with a design that is based on the form of a bamboo shoot. The building was a source of great personal pride for Pei, as his father had been one of the founders of the bank.
The Meyerson Symphony Center (1989) in Dallas, Texas, is one of the world’s great concert halls. Pei worked closely with the acoustician Russell Johnson to create a hall that is known for its superb sound quality. The building’s elegant, curving forms and its use of light and space create a festive and welcoming atmosphere.
The Miho Museum (1997) in Shiga, Japan, is a stunning museum that is built into the side of a mountain. The approach to the museum is a dramatic sequence of spaces, including a tunnel and a suspension bridge, that is meant to evoke the traditional Chinese story of the Peach Blossom Spring.
Awards, Honors, and Legacy
I. M. Pei was one of the most honored architects of his time. In 1983, he was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize. The jury citation praised him for having “given this century some of its most beautiful interior spaces and exterior forms.”
He also received the AIA Gold Medal (1979), the Praemium Imperiale in Architecture from the Japan Art Association (1989), and the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects (2010). In 1992, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H. W. Bush.
Pei’s legacy is that of a master of modernism who was able to create buildings that were both intellectually rigorous and widely popular. He was a “high modernist” who was not afraid of monumentality, but his work was always tempered by a concern for human scale and the quality of public life.
He was a consummate professional who was able to navigate the complex and often political world of large-scale public commissions with grace and skill. He was a diplomat and a gentleman, and he was respected by clients, colleagues, and the public alike.
His work has had a lasting impact on the design of museums, concert halls, and other public buildings. He showed that modern architecture could be used to create spaces that were not just functional, but also beautiful, inspiring, and meaningful. He was an architect who believed in the power of architecture to enrich the lives of individuals and to ennoble the public realm. I. M. Pei passed away on May 16, 2019, at the age of 102.