I. M. Pei (1917–2019) was one of the world’s most influential architects. Born and raised in China, Pei trained and worked in the United States, establishing a practice that spanned seven decades and multiple continents. His legacy includes the realization of some of the most high-profile projects of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, from the modernization of the Louvre in Paris to the design of the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha.
Going beyond the usual building-by-building format of most architectural monographs, I. M. Pei: Life Is Architecture is organized thematically, exploring Pei’s life and work through six topics that were central to his unique approach to architecture: transcultural identity, urban redevelopment, art and civic form, material and structural innovation, politics and patronage, and regenerating cultural and historical archetypes. Bringing together previously unpublished archival materials, specially commissioned essays, new photography, and personal contributions from those who knew and worked with Pei, this book presents both celebrated and lesser-known aspects of the architect’s life and career while solidifying his position in architectural history and popular culture.
Reviews
This deluxe, meticulously organized monograph…showcases Pei's extensive contributions and offers a deep dive into his influential legacy… [The book's] editors… have curated a rich selection of archival materials and commissioned essays that illuminate the breadth of Pei's work… An absorbing visual feast celebrating an extraordinary and highly influential talent.
— Kirkus Reviews
Celebrates the life and career of I. M. Pei, the modernist visionary behind Paris's Louvre Pyramid and Hong Kong’s Bank of China Tower … [and] sifts through his life's work with wonderful photographs and archival material. His reach was astounding.
— Air Mail
Sprinkled throughout the book are new photos specially commissioned by M+ that provide new views of Pei's famous buildings … Most valuable is the archival documentation, the breadth of which ranges from I. M. Pei's student work at MIT and Harvard, clippings from newspapers and magazines, and portraits of Pei to the usual drawings, renderings, and photographs of buildings designed by Pei over the course of six decades.
— A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books
Published alongside the first major retrospective, at the M+ museum in Hong Kong, of the Chinese American architect's work across six decades and three continents, this book showcases his Pritzker Prize-winning oeuvre … alongside his sketches, letters, personal photographs and more.
— The New York Times Book Review
Contributors
Shirley Surya
Author
Shirley Surya is curator of design and architecture at M+, Hong Kong. Since 2012, Surya has played a key role in building a collection representing modern and contemporary architecture from Asia, the first of its kind.
Aric Chen
Author
Aric Chen is the general and artistic director of Nieuwe Instituut, the Dutch national museum and institute of architecture. Chen was curator, design and architecture, at M+ from 2012 to 2017, and lead curator, design and architecture, from 2017 to 2018.
