I. M. Pei

1917–2019 · Chinese-American · 26 buildings on the wall

I. M. Pei (1917–2019) was a Chinese-American architect known for buildings of strong, simple geometry in concrete, stone and glass. Born in Guangzhou, he studied at MIT and Harvard, founded I. M. Pei & Associates in 1955 (later Pei Cobb Freed & Partners), and won the Pritzker Prize in 1983.

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His first major recognition came with the Mesa Laboratory (NCAR) near Boulder, Colorado (1967). For the National Gallery of Art, East Building in Washington (1978), he split an awkward trapezoid site into two triangles: one for the public galleries, one for offices and research. The Louvre Pyramid in Paris (1989), a glass-and-metal entrance 21.6 metres high, brings daylight into a new hall below the courtyard and set off years of public debate. The Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong (1990) carries its weight through triangular frames down to four corner columns. Late in life Pei drew on the Chinese traditions that shaped his youth: the Suzhou Museum (2006) uses sloping roofs, white stucco walls and a garden courtyard. I. M. Pei's projects show students how pure geometry can solve a difficult site.

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