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I. M. Pei

Life Is Architecture

Shirley Surya, Aric Chen

£60.00
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The story of internationally renowned architect I. M. Pei’s life and work, including such instantly recognisable buildings as the glass pyramid at the Louvre, Paris, and the National Gallery of Art's extension in Washington, D.C.

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Overview

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.

Pei’s life and work are explored here 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 Bringing together previously unpublished archival materials, specially commissioned essays, new photography, and personal contributions from those who knew and worked with Pei, this book presents both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.

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Product Information

Book Details

Format: PLC (no jacket)

Size: 30.0 x 24.0 cm

Extent: 400 pp

Illustrations: 471

Publication date: 25 July 2024

ISBN: 9780500481028

Contents List

Introduction by Shirley Surya & Aric Chen

1. A Transcultural Foundation
2. Real Estate and Urban Renewal
3. Art & Civic Form
4. Material and Structural Innovation
5. Power, Politics & Patronage
6. Reinterpreting Cultural Rootedness: China, East Asia & Beyond

About the Author

Shirley Surya is Curator for Design and Architecture at M+, Hong Kong. In 2017 she co-organised ‘Rethinking Pei: A Centenary Symposium’ with the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Hong Kong University Department of Architecture. Aric Chen is the General and Artistic Director of Het Nieuwe Instituut, the Dutch national museum and institute of architecture. From 2012 to 2019 Chen was Lead Curator for Design and Architecture at M+, Hong Kong.