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Comparison of Chinese and Western Architecture
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Nearly sixty years of architecture (Pei Cobb Freed & Partners) and about the same number of projects over his lifetime is what architect Ieoh Ming Pei (most known by his initials I.M.) can boast today (PBS). He became known for his use of concrete, glass, stone, and steel and the geometric style he adopted in the buildings he designed (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum). This Chinese-American architect rose from little known to in high demand as he pleased clients with his character as well as his work (Encyclopedia of World Biography 186). Numerous awards and breathtaking structures both lend to the interest in how I.M. Pei became the architectural legend he is today.
Ieoh Ming Pei was born on April 26, 1917 in Canton, China (bio). At this time, his father was head of the bank in Canton and then became important at the bank of Shanghai once the family moved there after avoiding impending war (Boddy). This allowed Pei to grow up surrounded by tall buildings and the rush of living in a city, nicely contrasted by the attitude of his Buddhist mother, who often took I.M. with her on retreats to meditate silently (National Gallery of Art). While living in Shanghai, Pei attended St. Johns Middle School. From this point, I.M. Pei made the decision to emigrate to the United States and attend the University of Pennsylvania to become an architect (Encyclopedia of World Biography 185).
Unfortunately, I.M. Pei was discouraged by the University of Philadelphia’s curriculum and transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Encyclopedia of World Biography 185). He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in architecture in 1940 and proceeded to pursue a graduate degree from Harvard (bio). This move was initiated by I.M.’s w...
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...Biography. 2nd ed. 1998. Print.
“I.M. Pei.” Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP, n.d. Web. 6 Feb, 2014
“I.M. Pei.” The Pritzker Architecture Prize. The Hyatt Foundation, 2014. Web. 6 Feb, 2014.
“I.M. Pei and the Geometry of the NGA.” National Gallery of Art. National Gallery of Art, 2013. 6 Feb, 2014. Web.
“I.M. Pei, Architect.” John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, n.d. Web. 6 Feb, 2014.
“I.M. Pei Building China Modern.” PBS. Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2014. Web. 6 Feb, 2014.
“I.M. Pei Chronological Index of Pei’s Buildings and Projects.” PBS. Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2014. Web. 6 Feb, 2014.
Ivy, Robert. "AT The Twilight of His Career, I.M. Pei Shows Few Signs of Slowing Down." Architectural Record 192.6 (2004): 204-212. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.
James F. O'Gorman, Dennis E. McGrath. ABC of Architecture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998. Document. October 2013.
Marcel Breuer Associates, . The Legacy of Marcel Breuer. 32. Tokyo, Japan: Architecture Publishing Co., 1982. Print.
Peter’s international traveling experiences are what I believe to have carried him through his career. Though he attended two great Universities, he got his best education from the real world experiences he obtained through travel. Peter grew up as a small town boy who had a passion for outdoors. By traveling, he was able to find his true style and colors; those aspects are what guided him through his 40 year career as an impactful and memorable architect. At age 67, he tragically passed away from a heart attack while cross country skiing in January of 2009. Though he left the earth that day, he left doing something he loved. And what he left behind was far more vast than any of his monumental creations.
Gehry draws his inspiration from famous paintings such as the Madonna and Child which he qualifies as a “strategy for architecture” (Friedman M. , 2003, p. 42) and which he used as an inspiration for a project in Mexico . Through his interpretation of the paintings and artwork, Gehry looked for a new kind of architecture. His search for a new type of architecture culminated in 1978 with his own house in Santa Monica. What was once a traditional Californian house would be redesigned to become one of the most important and revolutionary designs of the 20th century, giving Gehry international prestige and fame. Frank Gehry’s “Own House” uses a mixture of corrugated metal, plywood, chain link and asphalt to construct a new envelope for an existing typical Californian house. This house has been inspired by Joseph Cornell, Ed Moses and Bob Rauschenberg. Gehry comments on his house by saying that there was something “magical” (Friedman M. , 2003, p. 54) about it. He admits having “followed the end of his [my] nose” (Friedman M. , 2003, p. 54) when it came to constructing the “new” house, which led Arthur Drexler, former Director...
Hunt, William Dudley Jr. “Beaux Arts, Ecole Des.” Hunt Encyclopedia of American Architecture, 1980 ed.
(Image taken from Tranchtenberg, Marvin, Isabelle Hyman. Architecture: From Prehistory to Postmodernity. Second Edition. Prentice Hall, Inc. New Jersey: 2002.)
middle of paper ... ... Bolton, Arthur T. The architecture of Robert & James Adam. London, Country Life. 1922.
The piece I will be discussing is Eileen Gray’s ‘Villa E1027’. The piece is hugely influential in the architecture and design world. It was one of greys first architectural projects
"National Gallery of Art." The Age of Watteau, Chardin, and Fragonard. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.
“In the Cause of Architecture” is an essay written by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908. In this work, Wright outlines many of his architectural values. This text goes into great detail about the philosophy behind Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, as well as many important milestones in his life, such as working for Adler and Sullivan. This text is useful because it comes straight from Frank Lloyd Wright himself. It talks about many things important to his role as a notable American, such as his influences for his architecture and his architectural
The Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei (I.M) is known as one of the greatest architects of the Twentieth Century. His long, brilliant career was highlighted by several internationally famous structures. While many of Pei’s buildings were generally accepted by the public, some of them precipitated fair amounts of controversy. The most notable of these controversial structures is his Glass Pyramid at the entrance of the Louvre in Paris. For these reasons, I.M. Pei seems to be an architect who exhibits interest in the avant-garde through both the creative design and aestheticism of his architecture.
The Willis Tower has a very unique and strange structural design. The Willis Tower’s architect firm was the company Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). It was the company that provided the Willis Tower’s architect, Bruce Graham. It also provided the Structural Engineer, Fazlur Rahman Khan. The pla...
Pastier, John. “Frank O. Gehry House, Santa Monica, California; architect & Owner: Frank O. Gehry” AIA Journal, vol.69, no.6 (Mid-May 1980): 169.
Architecture, the practice of building design and its resulting products, customary usage refers only to those designs and structures that are culturally significant. Today the architecture must satisfy its intended uses, must be technically sound, and must convey beautiful meaning. But the best buildings are often so well constructed that they outlast their original use. They then survive not only as beautiful objects, but as documents of history of cultures, achievements in architecture that testify to the nature of the society that produced them. These achievements are never wholly the work of individuals. Architecture is a social art, yet Frank Lloyd Wright single handily changed the history of architecture. How did Frank Lloyd Wright change architecture?
Jencks believes “the glass-and-steel box has become the single most used form in Modern Architecture and it signifies throughout the world ‘office building’” (27). Thus, modern architecture is univalent in terms of form, in other words it is designed around one out of a few basic values using a limited number of materials and right angles. In...