By Terri Sapienza May 16 at 6:34 PM I.M. Pei, an American modernist architect regarded as one of the world’s leading designers of civic centers and cultural institutions, including the National Gallery of Art's East Building, the glass pyramid at the entrance to the Louvre in Paris and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, has died at 102.
“You cannot talk about architecture in the last 60 years without talking seriously about I.M. Pei,” said Robert A.M. Stern, a former dean of the Yale University School of Architecture. He referred to Mr. Pei as perhaps the greatest modern maker of monuments, and said of Mr. Pei's legacy: “It's not a single building. It's his work over a generation of time and his logical and relentless pursuit of the highest degree of excellence.
Born in China, Mr. Pei earned degrees from MIT and Harvard’s design school and spent his early career designing low-income housing for a real estate developer in New York. “He knew how to use his innate charm to his best advantage,” said Cannell. “You can imagine for Jackie Kennedy, surrounded all her life by overbearing men, how charmed she could be talking to a man like Pei.”
Mr. Pei's original design for the library included a glass pyramid, a design element that would reappear years later at the Louvre in Paris and become a signature form. The finished product, a building made of steel, glass and marble with an H-shaped facade and a knife-edge corner, introduced modernism to the Mall while blending seamlessly with its neoclassical neighbors. Opened in 1978, it was named one of the 10 best buildings in America by the American Institute of Architects.
The French newspaper Le Monde referred to it as “an annex to Disneyland.” The museum director resigned in protest. After the death of his mother, Mr. Pei moved with his family to Shanghai, where his interest in architecture began with a fascination with the growing cityscape. Once, while walking with his uncle past a new hotel, the younger Pei became so inspired by the buildings he saw that he stopped walking, sat down and started sketching.
The outbreak of World War II and the Communist takeover in China prevented Mr. Pei from him from returning to his homeland. He became an American citizen in 1954. When Zeckendorf got into financial trouble, Mr. Pei took the opportunity to go out on his own. In 1955, he established his own firm, I.M. Pei & Associates, which later became I.M. Pei & Partners, then finally, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners.
Source: Entertainment Trends (entertainmenttrends.net)
We should all be so lucky to live to 102
terrydresbach2 Great work. Seen docu's of him. I am an architect at heart. 102 isn't bad.
How sad. What a good long life though. I thought whoever did the glass pyramid at the Louvre should do the roof replacement at Notre Dame.
Fire will act, regardless of whether handled by a child or an elderly person. I.M Pei discovered the power of Agni. Sparks are beautiful as long as they remain in the fire.
A man of impact, humility and great talent. I.M. Pie’s legacy will be evident around the world for a long time to come. May His Soul Rest In Peace.
RIP
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