By Dario Cantatore

When the Royal Institute of British Architects （RIBA） awarded its Royal Gold Medal to I. M. Pei in 2010， RIBA President Ruth Reed commented， “The Royal Gold Medal has been called， often erroneously，1 a lifetime achievement award. Seldom has it been so true as it is in the case of I. M. Pei. At 92 he is that rarity； an officially retired architect， though there is still work in the pipeline to be delivered， work that will crown the extraordinary achievements of six decades in which he has reinvented the housing，2 gallery， and commercial building types. He is truly an inspiration3 for all architects.”

Born in 1917 in Guangzhou， China， I. M. Pei earned a B.A. in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology（MIT） in 1940 and a Masters in architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1946， where he studied under German architect Walter Gropius， a pioneer of modernist architecture and founder of the Bauhaus school.4

Pei received many awards and recognitions throughout his career， including the Pritzker Prize in 1983， with a jury citation stating that he“has given this century some of its most beautiful interior spaces and exterior forms.”5 Pei used his $100，000 prize to establish a scholarship fund for Chinese students to study architecture in the United States， and then return to China to practice their profession.

Pei was also elected an Honorary Academician of the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 1993 and received various honorary doctorates，6 including from Harvard University， Columbia University， the Chinese University of Hong Kong， the American University of Paris and the University of Rome， among others.

Modernist Localism7

Although a member of the modernist generation， Pei has stood out for rejecting the implications of globalism inherent in the International Style of architecture that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s； a key movement of the formative decades of modernist architecture.8 The most common characteristics of the style， evident also in Peis work， are rectilinear forms； light， taut plane surfaces stripped of ornamentation and decoration； open interior spaces； and a visually weightless quality reflected by the cantilever construction.9 The favored materials are glass and steel， with a combination of less visible reinforced concrete.

Pei adapted to the styles characteristics， but instead of creating globally homogenized structures， he advocated contextual development and variation in style，10 inspired by the locality and the purpose of a project. Pei told ArchDaily that “the important distinction is between a stylistic approach to the design， and an analytical approach giving the process of due consideration to time， place， and purpose.” The Pritzker Prize citation also wrote of the architect， “His concern has always been the surroundings in which his buildings rise.”

When he first returned to China in 1974， to design the Fragrant Hills Hotel11， which was completed in 1982， Pei urged Chinese architects to take inspiration from their architectural traditions， rather than just emulating the West. The Hotel， located in a public park in the former Imperial Hunting Grounds outside Beijing， includes a central skylight space that preserves the existing ancient trees， with 325 rooms zigzagging out from it， in a balance of symmetry and asymmetry.12

Intimately merging building and gardens， interior and exterior， the hotel features individual rooms， in which a “window picture”framing the landscape opens onto the courtyard.13 Advanced Western technology is combined with Chinese vernacular architecture， avoiding literal imitation： all built by local craftsmen with age-old materials and techniques，14 the only imported element was the skylight. With this project， Pei contributed to forming a distinctly Chinese style of modern architecture that can be applied to a variety of buildings.

In the Luce Memorial Chapel （1963） in Taiwan， originally conceived as a wooden structure， the concrete beams， thicker at the base and tapering towards the tip of the tent-like design， form a latticework on the inside walls of the chapel.15 Its architecture combines complex technology and advanced engineering with a modernist aesthetic expression through its irregular hexagonal base and curved planes， adapted to the humid and seismic conditions and the landscape of its location.16 The structure evokes Le Corbusiers Philips Pavilion at Expo 58 in Brussels.17

In the 1990s， Pei worked on two projects in Japan including Miho Museum， a French limestone and glass roof structure completed in 1996 on a scenic mountainside in a nature preserve near Shigaraki， which houses a collection of tea ceremony and historical artifacts from the Silk Road.18 The difficult location of the project led Pei to incorporate19 the architectural structure in the mountain： He built a tunnel through a mountain leading up to the museum via a bridge suspended from 96 steel cables， while 80 percent of the building is located underground. Peis mountain tunnel was partly inspired by a story from Chinese poet Tao Yuanming.

Opened to the public in 2006， the Suzhou Museum20 was seen as a second chance by Pei， who told The New York Times that the Fragrant Hills Hotel was a disappointment， commenting， “I was saved by the trees.” Suzhou has a personal significance for Pei， whose grandfather had a house there that he would visit during the summer， so accepting the Suzhou government project came naturally. The large white stucco museum is situated on hallowed ground adjoining a complex of historical structures and two gardens listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.21

Pei used grey and white， “Suzhou colors，” combined with a modern structure， commenting， “[In China] architecture and the garden are one. A Western building is a building， and a garden is a garden. Theyre related in spirit. But they are one in China.”

MUDAM， Luxembourg， opened in 2006， serves as another example of Peis adherence to the adaptation of a design to its context.22 With an asymmetrical V shape， a glass topped bell turret and another octagonal wing， the museum rises over the ruins of a fortress.23 The new， formalist structure not only reflects the ancient， but blends with it； its monumental， geometrical volumes becoming an extension of the past.24

A Futuristic25 Vision

Peis most well-known work worldwide is probably his underground extension to the Louvre26 in Paris， including the crystal pyramid. It is one of many that adopt a “futuristic” vision， brutally27 breaking from tradition. Originally a point of controversy after its completion in 1989， the pyramid has been accepted over the years and is now hailed as one of his most iconic projects.28 Pei said，“Formally， [the pyramid] is the most compatible with the architecture of the Louvre…， it is also one of the most structurally stable of forms， which assures its transparency， as it is constructed of glass and steel， it signifies a break with the architectural traditions of the past. It is a work of our time.”

The Bank of China Tower29 in Hong Kong， opened in 1990， was the tallest building in Asia until 1992 and is still one of the tallest in Hong Kong. Inspired by bamboo， a symbol of hope and revitalization30 in China， the trunk of the building emulates the growth patterns of the plant， reducing its mass towards the top. The composite structural system also resists high winds and eliminates the need for many internal vertical supports， a usual requirement in the typhoon-prone location.31

The JFK Presidential Library32 （1979） at Columbia Point peninsula in Boston has been said to exemplify an “architectural presence representing both memorial and monument.” With Peis play of space and light， and his iconic geometric structures， the librarys understated form comprises a singular and brilliant triangular tower protruding from an expanding base of geometric forms，33 with a cube of glass and steel rising along with the tower.

The East Building of the National Gallery of Art （1978） in Washington D.C. was designed to reflect the trapezoidal form of the plot it stands on.34 Pei started from two triangular sections， and used the isosceles as a unifying motif of the building，35 in the marble floors， steel frame and glass skylights. Other triangular forms are repeated in a variety of elements， while the interior features softened， rounder lines. In the plaza36 between the East and West Buildings are glass pyramids referencing the East Buildings ceiling. The pyramids subsequently became a trademark37 of Peis museum designs， as seen in the Louvre.

I. M. Pei has contributed to elevating architecture to a unique and individual form of artistic expression， while creating a harmonious relationship with its surroundings and its social function.38 Pei said in his acceptance speech for the 1983 Pritzker Prize， “I believe that architecture is a pragmatic39 art. To become art it must be built on a foundation of necessity.”

1. Royal Institute of British Architects： 英國皇家建筑師協(xié)會，1834年以“英國建筑師協(xié)會”的名稱成立，1837年取得英國皇家協(xié)會資格，宗旨是開展學(xué)術(shù)討論，提高建筑設(shè)計水平，保障建筑師的職業(yè)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。該協(xié)會頒發(fā)的“皇家金獎”（Royal Gold Medal）為英國建筑界最高獎項(xiàng)；erroneously： 錯誤地。

2. rarity： 罕見；crown： 圓滿地結(jié)束，使達(dá)到頂峰；reinvent： 徹底改造。

3. inspiration： 啟發(fā)靈感的人（或事物）。

4. Walter Gropius： 沃爾特·格羅皮烏斯，著名現(xiàn)代建筑師和建筑教育家，現(xiàn)代主義建筑學(xué)派的倡導(dǎo)人和奠基人之一；Bauhaus school： 包豪斯學(xué)院。1919年3月16日，魏瑪政府內(nèi)務(wù)大臣弗里希正式任命格羅皮烏斯為魏瑪?shù)娜隹松蠊囆g(shù)學(xué)院和撒克森大公藝術(shù)與工藝學(xué)校校長。3月20日，兩校合并為國立建筑設(shè)計學(xué)院，即“包豪斯”。從字面上講，“包豪斯”的意思是“造房子”，而作為一個專有名詞，它是指格羅皮烏斯1919年在魏瑪創(chuàng)立的德國古典現(xiàn)代主義中最為著名的一個藝術(shù)和設(shè)計流派，該派于1919—1933年在建筑、工藝設(shè)計方面的作品對世界的建筑藝術(shù)和工藝設(shè)計的發(fā)展產(chǎn)生了重大的影響。

5. Pritzker Prize： 普里茨克獎，被譽(yù)為“建筑界的諾貝爾獎”；citation： 引文，引語。

6. Honorary Academician： 榮譽(yù)院士；Royal Academy of Arts： 英國皇家美術(shù)研究院，1768年成立，為培育繪畫、雕刻、建筑藝術(shù)方面的人才作出了巨大貢獻(xiàn)；doctorate： 博士學(xué)位。

7. modernist： 現(xiàn)代主義的，現(xiàn)代派的；localism： 地域主義。

8. stand out： 突出，引人注意；inherent： 本質(zhì)的，內(nèi)在的；formative： 形成的，發(fā)展的。

9. rectilinear： 直線的；taut： 簡潔的；ornamentation： 裝飾；cantilever： 懸臂。

10. homogenized： 類同化的；contextual： 上下文的，視環(huán)境而定的。

11. Fragrant Hills Hotel： 香山飯店。位于北京西山風(fēng)景區(qū)的香山公園內(nèi)，建筑獨(dú)具特色，1984年曾獲美國建筑師協(xié)會榮譽(yù)獎。整座飯店憑借山勢，高低錯落，蜿蜒曲折，院落相間，內(nèi)有十八景觀，山石、湖水、花草、樹木與白墻灰瓦式的主體建筑相映成趣，是“具有中國傳統(tǒng)建筑韻味的現(xiàn)代建筑”。

12. skylight： 天窗；zigzag： 呈“之”字形，曲折前行；symmetry： 對稱；asymmetry： 不對稱。

13. merge： 結(jié)合，融入；courtyard： 庭院，天井。

14. vernacular： 本土的，地方（特有）的；literal： 刻板的，缺乏想象力的；craftsman： 工匠，手藝人。

15. Luce Memorial Chapel： 路思義教堂；tapering： 尖端細(xì)的，上粗下細(xì)的；latticework： 斜條格構(gòu)。

16. aesthetic： 美學(xué)的；hexagonal： 六邊形的；seismic： 地震的。

17. evoke： 使人想起；Philips Pavilion： 1958年布魯塞爾世界博覽會的飛利浦館，其造型奇特，恰似沖天的飛機(jī)，由著名建筑家勒·柯布西耶（Le Corbusier）設(shè)計。作為主辦國對1958年世博會主題“科學(xué)、文明和人性”的生動詮釋，它打動了無數(shù)參觀者的心。

18. Miho Museum： 美秀美術(shù)館，位于日本滋賀縣甲賀市的一家私立美術(shù)館，創(chuàng)辦人為小山美秀子，館藏甚豐；limestone： 石灰?guī)r；scenic：風(fēng)景優(yōu)美的；Shigaraki： 信樂，位于滋賀縣甲賀市信樂町，信樂燒陶器十分出名；artifact： 人工制品。

19. incorporate： 合并，吸收。

20. Suzhou Museum： 蘇州博物館。建于1960年，館址太平天國忠王府為首批全國重點(diǎn)文物保護(hù)單位，是國內(nèi)保存完整的一組太平天國歷史建筑物。1999年由貝聿銘負(fù)責(zé)設(shè)計蘇州博物館新館。新館于2006年10月6日建成并正式對外開放，是一座集現(xiàn)代化館舍建筑、古建筑與創(chuàng)新山水園林三位一體的綜合性博物館。

21. stucco：（拉毛）粉飾灰泥；hallowed： 受崇敬的，神圣（化）的；adjoin： 緊挨，毗鄰。

22. MUDAM： 讓大公現(xiàn)代藝術(shù)博物館（法語：Musée dArt Moderne GrandDuc Jean），簡稱“穆旦”，是盧森堡大公國的國家美術(shù)館，展出現(xiàn)代暨當(dāng)代藝術(shù)作品；adherence： 堅(jiān)持，遵循。

23. turret： 角樓，塔樓；octagonal： 八邊形的；fortress： 堡壘，要塞。

24. formalist： 形式主義的；monumental：巨大的，雄偉的；geometrical： 幾何圖形的。

25. futuristic： 未來主義的。

26. Louvre： 盧浮宮，位于法國巴黎市中心的塞納河北岸，位居世界四大博物館之首，始建于1204年，原是法國的王宮，居住過50位法國國王和王后，是法國文藝復(fù)興時期最珍貴的建筑物之一，以收藏豐富的古典繪畫和雕刻而聞名于世。盧浮宮博物館分新老兩部分，宮前的金字塔形玻璃入口系貝聿銘設(shè)計。

27. brutally： 冷酷無情地。

28. controversy： 沖突，爭論；hail： 熱情贊揚(yáng)，歡呼認(rèn)可；iconic： 標(biāo)志性的。

29. Bank of China Tower： 香港中銀大廈，是中國銀行在香港的總部。

30. revitalization： 新生，復(fù)活。

31. composite： 合成的，復(fù)合的；typhoonprone： 易遭受臺風(fēng)影響的。

32. The JFK Presidential Library： 約翰·肯尼迪總統(tǒng)圖書館，于1964年為紀(jì)念已故美國總統(tǒng)約翰·肯尼迪而建造，并于1979年建成，坐落于波士頓近郊的哥倫比亞角。由于設(shè)計新穎、造型大膽、技術(shù)高超，該圖書館在美國建筑界引起轟動，被公認(rèn)為美國建筑史上最佳杰作之一。美國建筑界宣布1979年是“貝聿銘年”，并授予他該年度的美國建筑師協(xié)會金獎。

33. understated： 樸素的，低調(diào)的；singular：獨(dú)特的；protrude： 突出，伸出。

34. The East Building of the National

Gallery of Art： 華盛頓國家美術(shù)館東館，為美國國家美術(shù)館（即西館）的擴(kuò)建部分。造型新穎獨(dú)特，平面為三角形，既與周圍環(huán)境和諧一致，又造成醒目的效果，內(nèi)部設(shè)計豐富多彩，采光與展出效果極佳；trapezoidal： 梯形的。

35. isosceles： 等腰三角形；unifying： 統(tǒng)一的，一致的；motif： 主題。

36. plaza： 露天廣場。

37. trademark： 標(biāo)記，特征。

38. elevate： 抬高，提升；harmonious： 和諧的，協(xié)調(diào)的。