Research Guides: I. M. Pei: Biography

I. M. Pei (April 26, 1917 - May 16, 2019)

Pei designed some of the most significant structures built in the 1960s and 1970s. His National Center for Atmospheric Research (1961-1967) in Boulder, Colorado; the Dallas City Hall (1972-1977); the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art (1978) in Washington, D.C.; and the John F. Kennedy Library (1979) in Boston are the most famous of his many buildings. Pei's designs attempted to turn each urban project into an opportunity to strengthen the fabric of American cities. By creating new urban spaces, pedestrian linkages, and a sense of orderly beauty in the midst of urban chaos, Pei strived to reinvigorate and renew aging city centers. Continue . . .

Source: "Pei, I. M. 1917-." American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., vol. 8: 1970-1979, Gale, 2001. From Gale Virtual Reference database.

Resources

The Master The article features U.S. architect I. M. Pei. He studied engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later attended the Harvard Graduate School of Design. His notable works include the East Wing of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. and a skyscraper for the Bank of China. The architect will turn 100 on April 26, 2017.
I.M. Pei and His "Lovely Youngest Daughter This article focuses on the New Suzhou Museum in China that was designed by Ieoh Ming Pei, also known as I. M. Pei. The architect describes the building, in his words, as his "lovely youngest daughter." Two of the museum's distinguishable cultural characteristics are its Kunqu opera and its legendary gardens. Background information on Pei is included.
Famous Artists: I.M. Pei I. M. Pei was one of the most renowned architects of the 20th and early 21st centuries, known for signature projects such as the Louvre Pyramid and the National Gallery of Art's East Wing.
I.M. PEI, Architect The John Fitzgerald Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum was designed by I.M. Pei & Partners, New York City. Jacqueline Kennedy played a major role in the selection of I.M. Pei to be the architect of the Kennedy Library. At an early meeting in 1964, Mr. Pei explained to Mrs. Kennedy, somewhat apologetically, that as a relatively young architect he had not worked on monumental projects...
USModernist I. M. Pei Born in Guangzhou and raised in Hong Kong and Shanghai in a wealthy family, in 1935 Pei moved to the United States and enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania's architecture school. Disliking their Beaux-Arts focus, he transferred to MIT to study Modernism. Le Corbusier visited MIT in November 1935....
Chronological Index of Pei’s Buildings and Projects I.M. Pei has completed numerous buildings in the last 60 years aggregating an astounding body of international work. Below, browse browse his projects chronologically. With a list of projects this large, it’s possible that you may have set foot in one of his masterpieces without knowing it.
I.M. Pei: Building China Modern I.M. Pei has been called the most important living modern architect, defining the landscapes of some of the world’s greatest cities. A monumental figure in his field and a laureate of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, Pei is the senior statesman of modernism and last surviving link to such great early architects as Corbusier, Gropius, and Mies van der Rohe....

From Films On Demand Database:

First Person Singular: I.M. Pei This program profiles the man responsible for some of the most triumphant architecture of the 20th century: architect I.M. Pei. He discusses the triumphs (and failures) of his career, and the primary artistic and intellectual influences reflected in the sweeping simplicity of his designs, from the Kennedy Presidential Library to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Pei also talks about his more recent projects, as viewers follow him from the sites of some of his most famous works, including one of his most impressive: the 1983 renovation of the Louvre, a project not without its political and architectural controversies. The program sheds light on how Pei has incorporated his admiration of art and his love of people into his own architectural style, thereby meeting the challenge of uniting form with both function and structure. Distributed by PBS Distribution.
East Wing of National Gallery of Art by I.M. Pei A connecting courtyard is strewn with glass tetrahedrons that serve as skylights for an underground passageway. Pei's building is abstract, the walls shirred smooth. The building design relies on triangulation and abstract geometry.