IEOH MING (I. M.) PEI

April 26, 1917 -

Master Builder

• Architect

• Dreamer

I.M. Pei's father wanted him to become a doctor, but the sight of blood made him sick. He liked buildings; maybe he could try architecture. He decided to study in the United States. He thought American movies were cool. Who knew that this teenager from Shanghai, China would become I. M. Pei, the Master Builder?

His buildings have astonished millions of people around the world.

• The beautiful East Building of Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery of Art
• The "glass pyramid" at the Louvre Museum in Paris (that's where the Mona Lisa is kept)
• The 74 - story Bank of China skyscraper in Hong Kong (it's Asia's tallest building)
• Even the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio!

Almost half of I. M. Pei's building designs have won major awards. In 1993, President George H. W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom (this award doesn't go to just anybody, you know!) Throughout his brilliant career, Pei has lived up to his name, Ieoh Ming, which means "to inscribe brightly." What a smashing success story! All gain and no pain!

Well, almost. There was pain - panes actually. Like all people who achieve great things, I. M. Pei had his share of failures. The panes that caused him pain were in the John Hancock Tower in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. Built in the early 1970's, this tallest of Boston's skyscrapers was completely covered by pale blue sheets of glass. "Magnificent!" said the critics. The citizens of the city hailed this breathtaking structure…until the panes of glass started falling out! Outrage! Disapproval! Blame! Lawsuits! What a pain!

But every problem has a solution IF you don't give up. The panes were replaced with a more reliable type, and the pain of failure gave way to a renewed spirit of confidence. I. M. Pei had proven again what so many other heroes learned in their careers: never, ever give up. No pain, no gain!

POWER WORDS!

"What you have learned and experienced in life comes out in a very unplanned way."
- I. M. Pei

EXPLORE!

Among the honors that Pei has won is the Pritzker Architectural Prize. Some people call it the "Nobel Prize of architecture." Pei used the $100,000 prize money to set up a scholarship fund for Chinese students wanting to study architecture in the U.S. The students then return to China to practice their profession. When they do, they can visit sites like Fragrant Hill, outside of Beijing. There, they'll see a hotel that Pei designed in the 1980's, nearly 40 years after he left China. Although he had been in America since he was a teenager, Pei had remained tuned in to the relationship between nature and buildings that is important to the Chinese people. He designed Fragrant Hill with that relationship in mind, and it serves to inspire young architects in his homeland.

Today, there's a major movement in America to make sure that great buildings are preserved. Children born even a hundred years from now should have the chance to see I. M. Pei's architectural wonders. Check out the Internet and search for "Preservation" efforts. Look for great buildings (like the Empire State Building in New York), whole sections of cities (like the colorful Art Deco section of Miami Beach), and off-the-wall roadside stuff (like the very first McDonald's Golden Arches). Visit the web site for the National Trust for Historic Preservation to learn about its efforts in saving our country's architectural treasures: www.preservationnation.org

You might even get involved in saving America's great architecture for your grandchildren!

DIVE IN!

I. M. Pei by Mary Englar (Heinemann-Raintree, 2005), 64 pages.
Asian-American Biographies