Remembering I.M. Pei: an appreciation of a master architect

I.M. Pei (1917–2019) - Ieoh Ming Pei was born in Guangzhou and raised in Hong Kong and Shanghai. In 1935, he moved to the United States and enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania's architecture school. He later transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He established his own independent design firm, I. M. Pei & Associates, in 1955.

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Louvre Pyramid, France - A Paris landmark, the Louvre Pyramid was inaugurated in 1989. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Louvre Pyramid, France - The pyramid was designed to complement the renovation of the Louvre Museum, and has become Pei's most famous structure.

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Green Building (MIT), USA - I.M Pei received his bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1940. In gratitude of sorts, he designed the institute's academic and research building, which was completed in 1964.

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Mesa Laboratory, USA - Part of the National Center for Atmospheric Research located in Boulder, Colorado, this was Pei's first project outside of city building design. Mesa was dedicated in 1967. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, USA - Shortly after the assassination of President Kennedy, Pei was chosen by JFK's widow, Jackie Kennedy, to design a library that would become a fitting memorial.

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The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, USA - A long and arduous project, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum was finally dedicated in 1979. It's located in Boston. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

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National Gallery East Building, USA - The geometrical East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. suitably houses the museum's modern and contemporary art collections. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)

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National Gallery East Building, USA - The collection includes works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, USA - Located in Cleveland, Ohio, Pei designed this building to reflect the energy of rock and roll—bold and dramatic. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, USA - The building, which sits on Lake Erie, recognizes and archives the history of the best-known and most influential figures in the development of rock and roll. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, USA - A concert hall located in downtown Dallas, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center was Pei's first large hall design. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 3.0)

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Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, USA - Ranked one of the world's greatest orchestra halls, Pei declined to impose modern styles of architecture on the interior in the belief that only music from the 18th and 19th centuries would be performed here. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.5)

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Dallas City Hall, USA - Cyberpunk film fans may recognize this building as that used in the 'RoboCop' movies of the 1980s. It served as the headquarters of the fictional OCP company.

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Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, USA -

Completed in 1973, the museum's distinctive concrete facade is characterized by its fifth floor, which hangs over an open-air sculpture garden. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Newhouse 1, USA - Inaugurated in 1964, Newhouse 1 originally housed S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications' School of Journalism at Syracuse University. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

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Society Hill Towers, USA - Completed in 1964, Pei's three skyscrapers project in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia is now listed on the city's Register of Historic Places. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Mudam, Luxembourg - The Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (Mudum) in Luxembourg City houses the country's finest collection of contemporary art. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Mudam, Luxembourg - The collection includes works by artists and designers such as Cindy Sherman, Claude Closky, Richard Deacon, and Steve McQueen. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Miho Museum, Japan -

Housing the private art collection of Mihoko Koyama, founder of the religious organization Shinji Shumeikai, the museum sits in a hilly and forested environment. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.5)

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Miho Museum, Japan - The tunnel that leads to the museum was bored through a mountain. Much of the building is situated underground, carved out of a rocky mountaintop. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.5)

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Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong - At 1,2054 ft (367 m) high (including the height of the two masts), this is the fourth tallest skyscaper in Hong Kong.

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Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong - The tower, topped out in 1989, is one of the most recognizable buildings in Central (Hong Kong's business district). (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)

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Luce Memorial Chapel, Taiwan -

Set on the campus of Tunghai University, this graceful structure is built on an irregular hexagonal base and features four curved surfaces.

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Macau Science Center, China - Its asymmetrical, conical shape and spiral walkway have made this futuristic-looking building a Macau landmark. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Suzhou Museum, China - Housing ancient Chinese art, ancient Chinese paintings, calligraphy, and handmade crafts, this beautiful museum, situated in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, was founded in 1960.

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Fragrant Hills, China - An instinctive modernist, Pei's traditional design for a 325-room hotel at Fragrant Hills near Beijing was deliberately in keeping with the natural habitat of the environment. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 3.0)

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Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar - Located in the Qatari capital of Doha, this striking museum is set in a purpose-built park. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar - The museum's design is influenced by traditional Islamic architecture, though modern geometric design signatures are also apparent. Pictured: the building's central atrium. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.0)

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Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar -

The museum was officially opened in 2008 and features over 14 centuries of Islamic art in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

Remembering I.M. Pei: an appreciation of a master architect

One of the world's most renowned architects has passed away

17/05/19 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Architecture

The Chinese-born American architect I.M. Pei has died at the age of 102. Responsible for some of the most iconic structures in the world, Pei's most famous work is the Louvre Pyramid. But the Pritzker Prize-winning architect, whose style was described as modernist with cubist themes, will also be remembered for a host of other daring and original landmarks.

Browse this gallery for a pictorial tribute to one of the greatest architects of his generation.