The legendary Asian-American architectural master Ieoh Ming Pei died on May 16 at the age of 102. He was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1983 (also known as the Nobel Prize in Architecture), known as "the last master of modernist architecture." His structures are located all over the world, including the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, the Miho Art Museum in Japan, the Suzhou Museum, the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and the Luce Memorial Chapel at Tunghai University (design with Chen Chi Kwan) which is most familiar to Taiwanese people.
Ieoh Ming Pei comes from a famous family, born in Guangzhou in 1917. In 1918, as his father took over as general manager of Bank of China Hong Kong Branch and the family moved to Hong Kong. Then in 1927, his father was transferred and the family moved to Shanghai. In Shanghai, Ieoh Ming Pei met the Shanghai International Hotel, which is still under construction. He was deeply fascinated by the height of the hotel and fell in love with architecture. In 1935, he went to the United States to study architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Ieoh Ming Pei founded I.M. Pei & Associates in 1955. After two revisions, the firm changed its name to Pei Cobb Freed & Partners.
Ieoh Ming Pei's architecture shows a full modernist style, he is good at using geometric figures, light and shadow lines to create simple architectural spaces, and with concrete, glass, steel, and other building materials, to construct a simplicity and textured architecture. In addition, "Let the light to do design." is his creative concept, which leads naturally into the building and forms a humanistic and natural environment. The most famous example is the Louvre Pyramid in Paris. The simple triangular pyramid structure, combined with glass material, makes the underground space full of light. As an Asian-American architect to design the glass pyramid at the entrance to the Louvre in France, was very controversial at that time. Nearly 90% of the local French people fierce opposition, and called for the repeal of this construction, the cynicism of the major media is even worse. Until March of this year, the 30th Anniversary of the Louvre Pyramid has long since become a landmark in Paris.
Another classic structure that blends with nature is the Miho Art Museum in Shiga Japan. To enter the museum, you will first pass through the trail full of cherry blossoms, then pass through the tunnel and the suspension bridge before arriving at the museum, just like the concept of entering the paradise, it comes from Tao Yuanming's The Tale of the Peach Blossom Spring. The Miho Art Museum is not only hidden in the mountains but also 80% of the buildings are buried underground. The white stone wall looks like it grows out of the ground, on top of it is a glass roof made up of several triangular structures. When a bird's-eye view from the sky will show that the entire building is integrated with the mountain group.
圖一: I.M.Pei Courtesy Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
圖二左上: The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha © Museum of Islamic Art
圖二中上：Bank of China Tower ©2019 Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP
圖二右上: Grand Louvre Modernization ©2019 Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP
圖二中左：Grand Louvre Modernization ©2019 Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP
圖二左下：Suzhou Museum ©蘇州博物馆
圖二右 : Bank of China Tower©2019 Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP
