Remembering I. M. Pei
Many, many years ago I stumbled across a documentary on architect I. M. Pei.
Let me state right at the start here that I know little, to nothing, about architecture. But I found the segment absolutely fascinating, and Pei’s career absolutely extraordinary.
The number of buildings he created is significant, but one could argue that his most famous work was the renovations he made for the Louvre, and in particular the construction of a glass pyramid.
Here’s a segment from 60 minutes, which talks a bit about that work:
The documentary itself isn’t online, or at least… a good version isn’t really available online. But if you happen to get a copy, or get the chance to see it it’s very much worth your time.
I was very taken with the way Pei approached architectural problems, and really enjoyed hearing him describe his various buildings/designs. It’s interesting to compare his critics (in France, at the time) versus now. I wonder what percentage of the Frech still view the pyramid with disdain.
Here’s a (rough) bit of the documentary:
What a full and rich career this man had. It really was a fantastic documentary, and one worth viewing if you can get your hands on it.
Related:
A Love Letter to Tokyo’s Buildings Using Animated GIFs
Monument Valley: Beautiful Game Set in a World of Impossible Architecture
My favorite of his will always be the IU Art Museum.
Alex (May 27, 2019 at 9:02 am)I knew he had a ton of buildings to his name, but was honestly surprised by this. Also realizing I don’t think I have much memory of the IU Art Museum at all!
Another thing I failed to mention – Pei also designed the University Apartments that are located down the street from my house.
avoision (May 28, 2019 at 3:19 pm)