Ieoh Ming Pei

I.
M PEI
FINAL REPORT: HOW HE CREATES IDENTITY IN HIS WORKS
Ieoh Ming Pei, commonly known as I. M. Pei, is a Chinese-
American architect. I.M. Pei's unique take on modernism in
architecture has informed his prolific work. His projects, from

museums to skyscrapers, show a belief in the idea that form
follows intention and that modernism serves as a bridge of
present and past.
As a student of Le Corbusier and modernist architecture, I.M. Pei
took the core belief of modernism that form follows function,
and added his own interpretation. Pei believes that form follows
intention (which incorporates function). His work reflects this
philosophy by his incorporation of functional symbols into all his
great works.
He has not only transformed our buildings into modern style, but
has also impacted people across the world through his
architecture. His buildings started to be viewed as sculpture
themselves. He explored new ways of constructing buildings and
invented new forms for a modern society to live in.
He also rejected the Internationalist vision of architecture as
future vs. past, and instead saw his role as creating a bridge
between the present and the past. These core beliefs explain
how Pei designed a wide variety of structures that are all
consistent to his vision.
His masterful implementation of basic geometric form into the
design of his buildings is another point of interest that

contributed to his originality.
Pei also created identity through his architecture by using
elements from the past and merging them with present modern
techniques.
Suzhou Museum has been one of I.M Pei’s greatest works of all
times. It has been recognized as a collision of classical and
modern, and combined quite well with each other. This called
"Designed for China" Museum conveyed a good architectural style
combination between Chinese historic and contemporary fashion.
As a modernism master in architectural world, I. M. Pei has
always been doing innovative works. He likes to walk a way
between tradition and modern world. Contribute to Pei's original
design concept of "Chinese style with innovation; Suzhou style
with creativity", the Suzhou Museum not only became an
architectural landmark in Suzhou, but also a significant
architecture bridging Chinese traditional architectural design
with modern concepts.
This design of this new museum visually complements the
traditional architecture of ZhongWangFu.

The façade of Suzhou Museum has whitewashed plaster walls
with dark gray clay tiles, which is the traditional construction
characteristic of Old Suzhou. The new Suzhou Museum adopts it
as the primary colors. Instead of using traditional clay tiles, the
roof is made of gray granites with uniformed color. Modern steel
structure is applied to the new museum to replace traditional
roof beam structure. The style of roof was inspired by traditional
roof of Old Suzhou architecture and redesigned into geometric
shapes.
The interior is decorated with wooden frames and white ceiling.
In addition, metal sunscreens with wooden panels instead of
traditional carved windows lattice are introduced to allow more
lights and make the new museum more sophisticated. This design
makes the natural lighting shapes more complicated and
fascinating when it shines in. Let lighting to design, which is a
famous saying by I.M.Pei.
The garden is another beautiful architectural wonder here.
Almost all of the Chinese elements, such as bridges, pavilions,
ponds, bamboo, whitewashed plaster walls and fake mountains
are present. It looks like a painting rather than a garden. Pei has
fully considered the cultural identity of garden and landscape
design of Suzhou, and adopted the style of classical garden in
Suzhou. He has also designed various exquisite courtyards the
layout of this museum, which made the inner and outer space
connected, as well as connected the nature and architecture.
The influences behind the design of the Suzhou Museum are some
famous Chinese elements. Although this museum is a modern
style building, it bridges traditional Chinese architectural design
with modern concepts.
According to Pei's original design concept of "Chinese style with
innovation; Suzhou style with creativity"; and the idea of "not too
high, not too large and not too abrupt," the museum has adopted
the typical architecture style in Suzhou -- the whitewashed
plaster walls and the dark gray clay tiles. As can be seen that Pei
took the cultural elements from the old local buildings then put
them into a modern style.
Some of his other famous works in which he has tried to create
identities include the Miho museum.
In this museum he has tried to create the identity of a Shangri-
La.
The story behind this is based on a fisherman who lived in
Eastern China.
One day, as this man was rowing up a mountain stream, he came
across a peach orchard in full bloom. At the end of the orchard,
he noticed a ray of light coming from a small cave at the foot of
a mountain. Once inside, he found himself on a narrow road, but
traveling deeper, a splendid view suddenly opened before him.
There was the Shangri-La.
The museum has also been designed on a similar concept. Only
after climbing a gently sloping path lined with verdant trees,
passing through a tunnel, and crossing a bridge can the Miho
Museum be found. The museum is the expression of that
moment, the moment that the museum suddenly comes into your
eyes. It is just like a script.

Another such example is the Museum of Islamic arts. Pie found
that influences of climate and culture led to many
interpretations of Islamic architecture, but none evoked the true
essence. So he finally took inspiration from the Mosque of Ahmad
Ibn Tulun in Cairo, Egypt (9th century) to construct this museum.
In the ‘austerity and simplicity” of the sabil, Pei stated, he found
“severe shades of color” the sabil offered – an almost Cubist
expression of geometric progression, which evoked an abstract
vision of the key design elements of Islamic architecture. Pie also
used ceilings that were embellished with intricate coffered
domes, and laid perforated metal chandeliers in the atrium to
give it an Islamic identity.

Pei also played with the orientation of the building. He
constructed the building in such a way that from the moment one
enter the premises, one can feel the urge to move forward, and
that movement forward eventually leads one to the image Qatar
wants everyone to remember: the rising skyline of Doha.

The circulation is simple, a large atrium with walkways around.
However, no matter where one stands, the eyes always go to
that humongous window giving one the image that they want
everyone to see.
The Louvre pyramid, Paris is another example of the same. The
pyramid used as an entrance in the Louvre's courtyard has the
exact same proportions as the Great Pyramid of Giza. The choice
of this figure also serves as a reminder of the importance of the
Egyptian antiquities collection inside the museum.
For Pei, the glass pyramid provided a symbolic entry that had
historical and figural importance that reinforced the main entry.
Not only is the entire structure functional, it also uses the record
needle to symbolize that the musicians inside still reverberate

through the contemporary world. All of these minute details add
to the architecture of the building and in turn create identity.
To conclude one can say that Pei uses inspiration from the past
to stimulate identity in the present as all his major works have
been inspired by previously built famous structures.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 https://www.dezeen.com/2017/03/12/photography-yueqi-
jazzy-li-im-pei-museum-islamic-art-doha-architecture/
 http://www.archdaily.com/88705/ad-classics-le-grande-
louvre-i-m-pei
 http://www.archdaily.com/639108/miho-museum-i-m-pei
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzhou_Museum
 http://www.biography.com/people/im-pei-9436323
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I._M._Pei

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I.

Ieoh Ming Pei, commonly known as I. M. Pei, is a Chinese-

American architect. I.M. Pei's unique take on modernism in

architecture has informed his prolific work. His projects, from

follows intention and that modernism serves as a bridge of

present and past.

As a student of Le Corbusier and modernist architecture, I.M. Pei

took the core belief of modernism that form follows function,

intention (which incorporates function). His work reflects this

philosophy by his incorporation of functional symbols into all his

has also impacted people across the world through his

architecture. His buildings started to be viewed as sculpture

themselves. He explored new ways of constructing buildings and

invented new forms for a modern society to live in.

He also rejected the Internationalist vision of architecture as

how Pei designed a wide variety of structures that are all

consistent to his vision.

His masterful implementation of basic geometric form into the

design of his buildings is another point of interest that

Pei also created identity through his architecture by using

times. It has been recognized as a collision of classical and

"Designed for China" Museum conveyed a good architectural style

combination between Chinese historic and contemporary fashion.

As a modernism master in architectural world, I. M. Pei has

always been doing innovative works. He likes to walk a way

between tradition and modern world. Contribute to Pei's original

design concept of "Chinese style with innovation; Suzhou style

with creativity", the Suzhou Museum not only became an

architectural landmark in Suzhou, but also a significant

architecture bridging Chinese traditional architectural design

with modern concepts.

This design of this new museum visually complements the

traditional architecture of ZhongWangFu.

with dark gray clay tiles, which is the traditional construction

characteristic of Old Suzhou. The new Suzhou Museum adopts it

as the primary colors. Instead of using traditional clay tiles, the

roof is made of gray granites with uniformed color. Modern steel

structure is applied to the new museum to replace traditional

roof beam structure. The style of roof was inspired by traditional

roof of Old Suzhou architecture and redesigned into geometric

In addition, metal sunscreens with wooden panels instead of

traditional carved windows lattice are introduced to allow more

makes the natural lighting shapes more complicated and

fascinating when it shines in. Let lighting to design, which is a

famous saying by I.M.Pei.

The garden is another beautiful architectural wonder here.

Almost all of the Chinese elements, such as bridges, pavilions,

ponds, bamboo, whitewashed plaster walls and fake mountains

design of Suzhou, and adopted the style of classical garden in

Suzhou. He has also designed various exquisite courtyards the

connected, as well as connected the nature and architecture.

famous Chinese elements. Although this museum is a modern

style building, it bridges traditional Chinese architectural design

with modern concepts.

According to Pei's original design concept of "Chinese style with

the typical architecture style in Suzhou -- the whitewashed

them into a modern style.

Some of his other famous works in which he has tried to create

identities include the Miho museum.