U.S.A. - 20th Century Architecture, Individual Architects, Designers, & Planners, U.S.A. - General & Miscellaneous Architecture, Brutalism, Formalism & Post-War Modernism - Architecture, Architects - Biography

I. M. Pei A Profile in American Architecture

Name: I. M. Pei A Profile in American Architecture
Author: Carter Wiseman
ISBN: 9780810934771

by Carter Wiseman

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Overview

I.M. Pei: A Profile in American Architecture is the first full-length study of the life and work of his extraordinary artist. Illustrated from the rich archives of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, the book charts Pei's progress from his birth in China in 1917 through every milestone in his career to his preeminent position today. The author, noted architecture critic Carter Wiseman, has supplemented extensive and meticulous research with many hours of conversation with Pei, his family, and his associates. He focuses his text on twelve buildings of special relevance to Pei's career, and, whether discussing the Kennedy Library, the Louvre, or the Meyerson Symphony Center, he carefully considers the projects architectural, sociological, and personal dimensions. One sees how Pei's artistic vision has emerged, how he has deftly met the demands of each new situation and client, and how his charmismatic personality has affected events.

375 illustrations, 60 in full color, 320 pages, 8-3/4 x 11"

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Editorials

Library Journal

Abrams first published Wiseman's study of I.M. Pei in 1990, and this revised edition adds projects that Pei completed from 1990 to 2001, during which he designed three major museums, completed his work on the Louvre, and gave us the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Pei was also thinking small as he aged, taking on commissions and building a harmony that played out in dramatic forms that match their purpose. Former architecture critic for New York magazine and a contributing editor of ArtNews, Wiseman (Twentieth-Century American Architecture) presents a thoughtful and detailed look at Pei and his work, along with 65 full-color illustrations and many more in black and white. Wiseman is equally interested in the architect's designs, his persona, and the place of his buildings in a sociological context. A weakness, however, is that he does not look back to look forward; that is, he does not offer critiques of the pre-1990 buildings to suggest whether some have lost an edge or gained new power in the ten years hence. Wiseman is very much taken by Pei and pays tribute to the man and his work in this thorough retrospective. Recommended. David Bryant, New Canaan Lib., CT Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Chinese-American architect Pei has designed some of the most distinguished public buildings of the last four decades, from the Kennedy Library in Boston to the Louvre's controversial glass pyramid addition. This first book-length career survey traces Pei's rise from an MIT engineering student to head of an internationally renowned architectural firm. Journalist-author Wiseman anchors his readable text on 12 key commissions, but sometimes loses his way amid anecdotes of the rich and famous that do little to advance our understanding of Pei's architecture. Included are 340 color and black-and-white illustrations, a select bibliography, and a listing of works executed by the Pei firm. Recommended.-- Annette Melville, Univ. of California at Berkeley Lib.