I. M. Pei
From Archiplanet
| I. M. Pei | |
| Born | 1917; Canton, China |
| Notes | |
| At Great Buildings | http://www.GreatBuildings.com/architects/I._M._Pei.html |
Contents |
Works
- Bank of China, at Hong Kong, 1982 to 1990. * 3D Model * Archiplanet page GreatBuildings page
- Christian Science Center, at Boston, Massachusetts, 1968 to 1974. * 3D Model * Archiplanet page GreatBuildings page
- East Wing, National Gallery, at Washington, D.C., 1974 to 1978. * 3D Model * Archiplanet page GreatBuildings page
- Everson Museum of Art, at Syracuse, New York, 1968. Archiplanet page GreatBuildings page
- Hancock Place, at Boston, Massachusetts, 1977. Archiplanet page GreatBuildings page
- Javits Convention Center, at New York, New York, 1979 to 1986. * 3D Model * Archiplanet page GreatBuildings page
- Johnson Museum of Art, at Ithaca, New York, 1973. Archiplanet page GreatBuildings page
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, at Boulder, Colorado, 1961 to 1967. * 3D Model * Archiplanet page GreatBuildings page
- Pyramide du Louvre, at Paris, France, 1989. * 3D Model * Archiplanet page GreatBuildings page
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, at Cleveland, Ohio, 1998. Archiplanet page GreatBuildings page
Discussion
(b. Canton, China 1917)
Ieoh Ming Pei was born in Canton, China in 1917. He left China when he was eighteen to study architecture at MIT and Harvard. Between 1942 and 1945, he worked as a concrete designer for Stone and Webster, and in 1946 he began work in the office of Hugh Asher Stubbins, in Boston.
Pei worked as an instructor and then as an assistant professor at Harvard before he joined Webb & Knapp Inc. in New York in 1948. Pei worked as the head of the architectural division of Webb and Knapp, Inc. until 1960, when he resigned and founded his own architectural office, I. M. Pei & Partners, New York, which in 1979 became Pei, Cobb, Free & Partners.
Due to his reliance on abstract form and materials such as stone, concrete, glass, and steel, Pei has been considered a disciple of Walter Gropius. However, Pei shows little concern with theory. He does not believe that architecture must find forms to express the times or that it should remain isolated from commercial forces.
Pei generally designs sophisticated glass clad buildings loosely related to the high-tech movement. However, many of his designs result from original design concepts. He frequently works on a large scale and is renowned for his sharp, geometric designs.
References
Dennis Sharp. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Architects and Architecture. New York: Quatro Publishing, 1991. ISBN 0-8230-2539-X. NA40.I45. p119-120.
Adolf K Placzek. Macmillan Encyclopedia of Architects. Vol. 3. London: The Free Press, 1982. ISBN 0-02-925000-5. NA40.M25. p384-385.
Details
- Recipient of the Japan Art Association's Praemium Imperiale, 1989
- Recipient, Pritzker Architecture Prize, 1983.
- Recipient of the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal, 1979.
- Recipient, AIA Architecture Firm Award 1968 (I.M. Pei & Partners).
References
"I. M. Pei's Construction Innovation", by ArchitectureWeek, ArchitectureWeek No. 143, 2003.0423, pN1.1.
Michael T. Cannell. I.M. Pei : Mandarin of Modernism. Clarkson Potter, October 1995. ISBN 0-5177-9972-3. Available at Amazon.com
External Links
Pei Cobb Freed and Partners — The firm's own web site.
I. M. Pei — An elegant personal page on Pei
I. M. Pei — An informative set of pages on Pei and his projects, at MIT
I. M. Pei Pritzker Prize — Several pages of good background information, at the Pritzker Prize site.
