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I. M. Pei
Designing the Louvre Pyramid and sharply geometric modern buildings.
National Gallery East Building · Louvre Pyramid
- Born
- 26 April 1917
- Birthplace
- Guangzhou, China
- Died
- 16 May 2019
More people
I. M. Pei
I. M. Pei was a Chinese-American architect whose museums, towers and public buildings combined precise geometry with attention to setting. His projects often placed modern forms beside historic architecture.
Early life
Chinese upbringing
Grew up in Hong Kong and Shanghai in a banking family.
American training
Moved to the United States in 1935 and studied at MIT and Harvard.
Career
- 1948
Developer’s architect
Joined Webb & Knapp to lead architectural work.
- 1955
Independent practice
Established I. M. Pei & Associates.
- 1960s–2000s
International commissions
Expanded from urban development into major civic and museum projects.
Selected work
National Gallery East Building
Designed the Washington museum extension around triangular geometry.
Louvre Pyramid
Created a glass entrance above a new underground reception space.
Museum of Islamic Art
Designed Doha’s museum using layered geometric volumes.
Beyond work
Cross-cultural education
Used his Pritzker Prize money to support Chinese architecture students.
Family practice
Two of his sons also became architects.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Bernard Gotfryd. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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