From Jackie Craven,
Your Guide to Architecture.
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The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University is perched atop a 1,000-foot slope overlooking Lake Cayuga in Ithaca, New York. Completed in May, 1973, the museum was designed by I.M. Pei with John L. Sullivan III and the firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners.

The architects wanted to make a dramatic statement without blocking the scenic natural views. In this museum, I.M. Pei and the members of his firm combined massive rectangular forms with open spaces.

The result is a building that is both bold and transparent.