Although most popularly known for designing the Louvre Pyramid, I.M. Pei was a Chinese-American architect who created many other impressive architectural works. Here is some background on how he became so successful!
I.M. Pei was born on April 26, 1917 in Guangzhou, China as Leoh Ming Pei and expanded his interest in architecture and engineering during his childhood. At the age of 17, Pei went to the United States, where he transferred from the University of Pennsylvania to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture. He then earned a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard.
Pei joined the firm Webb & Knapp in 1948 as its director of architecture, and he worked with real estate developer William Zeckendorf to create several projects. Seven years later, he started I.M. Pei & Associates, designed the Mile High Center, and worked on urban plans for Washington, D.C, Philadelphia, and Boston. Some of Pei’s other projects included the John F. Kennedy International Airport and Memorial Library, the John Hancock Tower, and the Reagan Medical Center. His most popular projects, however, are the Louvre Pyramid and the East Building of the National Gallery.
In 1983, I.M. Pei was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize to recognize his important contributions to architecture, and he continues to be admired to this day. Here are some of his most popular projects!
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