CAD 1 - Spring 2022

I.M. Pei (1917-2019)

By: Ryan Curley
Background
Family Life

● Was born in Suzhou, China, on April 26th, 1917.

● Immigrated to the United States in hopes of studying architecture at the age of 17.
● Served on the National Defense research committee during World War II.
● Married his wife Eileen Loo, another architect in 1942. They would go on to raise four children together.
● Continued his work as an architect after the war as a assistant professor at Harvard.
● Created his own architectural firm under the title of I.M. Pei & Associates in 1955.
● Retired in 1990 from his firm I.M. Pei & Associates

Education

● Graduated in 1940 with a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from MIT

● Earned a Master's degree in Architecture from Harvard in 1946
Thoughts
Quotes

● “Be the best, not necessarily the original.”

● “You cannot defend your design if you do not know what you’re designing for.”
● “Stop worrying about missed opportunities and start looking for new ones.”

Influences/Impacts

● Created I.M. Pei & Associates

● Designed the presidential library with help from Jacqueline Kennedy after JFK’s assasination in 1963,
finished construction in 1979.
● Designed Le Grand Louvre in 1989, one of his most famous works, was built around architecture and history
● Created and funded a scholarship in Architecture for Chinese students coming to the United States with his
Pritzker prize money.
Imagery
● Le Grand Louvre, Paris, France,
1989
● Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong,
China, 1990
● Deutsches Historisches Museum,
Berlin, Germany, 1987
● Everson Museum, Syracuse, New
York, United States, 1968
Sources
https://worldarchitecture.org/article-links/ecpvn/the-12-most-significant-projects-of-i-
m-pei.html
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/i-m-pei-5590.php#:~:text=Personal%20Lif
e%20%26%20Legacy&text=Pei%20married%20fellow%20architect%20Eileen,and%2
0his%20reputation%20was%20questioned
.
https://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/18-inspiring-quotes-from-im-pei.html
https://www.wmf.org/sites/default/files/styles/image_slideshow_big/public/slideshow/i
mages/1989_pyramide_du_louvre.jpg?itok=ocf_Ozs6
https://worldarchitecture.org/cdnimgfiles/extuploadc/eversonmuseumcjesseganes.jpg
https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2016/04/27/3365551476_e2af8c7981_o_slide-a9d132
29e9afd9dcfdda5a5ed2bb75d6c50047de.jpg