I.M. Pei has designed some of the most elegant and powerful buildings of recent years; works as diverse as the rigorously geometric East Building of the National Gallery in Washington, DC, the boldly high-tech pyramid for the Louvre in Paris, and the serene Miho Museum in Japan.
In more than five decades as an architect, Pei has worked with numerous distinguished clients (from Paul Mellon to François Mitterand), has been involved in several controversial projects, and has won every important honour in his field. In addition, his personal story is a compelling one – the classic tale of a newcomer to America who finds great artistic and personal success.
In 1990, The Architecture of I.M. Pei was published as the first full-length study of the life and work of this extraordinary artist. The revised edition includes a chapter on Pei’s work since 1990, when he established a new relationship with his firm that enabled him to pursue more small-scale, personal commissions. Illustrated from the rich archives of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, the book charts Pei’s progress from his birth in China in 1917 through every milestone in his career to his pre-eminent position today.
The author has supplemented extensive research with many hours of conversation with Pei, his family, his associates and his clients, and, whether discussing the Kennedy Library, the Meyerson Symphony Center, or the Louvre, he carefully considers the project’s architectural, sociological and personal dimensions.
Scores of colour photographs present Pei’s buildings in all their splendid variety – from the urban grandeur of the Dallas City Hall to the daring innovation of the Bank of China skyscraper. Dozens of revealing drawings, plans and models, as well as personal and documentary photographs, make this volume the only comprehensive visual record of Pei’s work.