I.M. Pei is known for using large, abstract forms and sharp, geometric designs. His glass-clad structures seem to spring from the high tech modernist movement. However, Pei is more concerned with function than theory. His works often incorporate traditional Chinese symbols and building traditions.
Born:
April 26, 1917 in Canton, China
Education:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
B. Arch. 1940 - Harvard Graduate School of Design
M. Arch. 1946
Professional Experience:
- National Defense Research Committee, 1943–1945
- Harvard Graduate School of Design, Assistant Professor, 1945–1948
- Webb & Knapp, Inc., Director of Architecture, 1948–1955
- I. M. Pei & Associates, 1955–1966
- I. M. Pei & Partners, 1966–1989
- Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, 1989–1990
- Pei Partnership Architects, 1992-
Important Buildings:
- Mile High Center, Denver, Colorado (1956)
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado (1967)
- Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York (1968)
- Terminal 6, JFK International Airport, New York City (1970; demolished in 2011)
- The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (1973)
- Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Centre, Singapore (1976)
- Dallas City Hall, Texas (1977)
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library, Boston, Massachusetts (1979, extension in 1991)
- Museum of Fine Arts, West Wing and Renovation, Boston, Massachusetts (1981)
- Fragrant Hill Hotel, Beijing (1982)
- Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong (1989)
- Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, Texas (1989)
- Louvre Pyramid (Phase I in 1989; Phase II in 1993)
- Four Seasons Hotel, New York City (1993)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland, Ohio (1995)
- Musée d'Art Moderne, Kirchberg, Luxembourg (2006)
- Suzhou Museum (2006)
Related People :
Quote:
"I believe that architecture is a pragmatic art. To become art it must be built on a foundation of necessity." — I.M. Pei, from his acceptance speech for the 1983 Pritzker Architecture Award.
More About I. M. Pei:
In Chinese, Ieoh Ming means "to inscribe brightly." The name Pei's parents gave him proved prophetic. Over the past fifty years, Ieoh Ming Pei has designed more than fifty buildings around the world, ranging from industrial skyscrapers and important museums to low income housing.
Pei grew up in Shanghai, but in 1935 he moved to the United States to study architecture and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and later at Harvard University. Pei is a naturalized citizen of the United States.
To learn more about I.M. Pei and his Asian roots, see the PBS American Masters documentary, I.M. Pei: Building China Modern.
Also see Movies About Famous Architects >>>
Awards and Honors:
- Pritzker Architecture Prize (1983). With the Pritzker prize money, Pei established a scholarship for Chinese students to study architecture in the United States providing they return to China to practice architecture.
- Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA)
- Corporate Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- National Academy of Design
- American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters
