Art and Civic Form

I. M. Pei was best known for his museum design, but the significance of his museums goes beyond their iconic forms. Pei’s design approach was shaped by his keen insight into the ways we experience different types of art and his belief that museums ought to be appealing public spaces. Pei often commissioned artworks, typically large-scale sculptures, and integrated them into the museums, banks, and housing projects he designed. This reflected Pei’s belief in the dialogue between art and architecture, his deep affinity for the artists of his time, and the value he placed on art’s ability to enhance our experience of a space.

Pei in the News: Fame and Controversy

Pei’s influence extends far beyond his iconic architectural forms. His high-profile projects, celebrated and at times controversial, have the power to shape the character of cities and subject of popular culture across continents.  This room features a selection of magazines, newspapers, and television coverage featuring the architect.

Museum of Chinese Art for Shanghai (1946)

For his master’s thesis, Pei proposed a design for a museum in Shanghai that would display artworks from across China’s history. Pei considered how Chinese artists have traditionally been inspired by the natural world. A museum of such works should therefore be a space where art and nature are experienced in unison. Pei’s design features indoor-outdoor connectivity between galleries and landscaped courtyards, creating spaces that bring people together. A tea pavilion in the central garden is accessible via a ramp connecting the lower and upper floors. The design demonstrates Pei’s vision of the museum as a platform for social and cultural encounter.

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art (1968–1973), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Pei and his team designed the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University to frame the natural beauty of the site. Located on top of a hill, it has an outdoor sculpture court and windows through which to view artworks with the surrounding landscape. The museum is also positioned in relation to the university’s historical Arts Quad and the nearby creek, underscoring Pei’s sensitivity to historical and natural environments.

Des Moines Arts Center Addition (1965–1968), Des Moines, Iowa

Pei was tasked with designing an extension for the Des Moines Arts Center to house its growing collection of large sculptural works. Considering the existing building’s serpentine U-shape, Pei added a concrete structure to close the loop, creating an internal courtyard surrounded by gallery spaces. Natural light enters the galleries via large windows and various wall and roof openings. Pei incorporated his design into the sloped landscape to not overshadow the existing building designed by Finnish-American architect Eliel Saarinen.

National Gallery of Art (NGA) East Building (1968–1978), Washington, D.C.

By the 1960s, the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in the US desperately needed an expansion. The plot of land flagged for this extension, known as the East Building, was an awkward trapezoidal form next to the museum. Pei maximised the site by drawing a diagonal line connecting the old and the new building on an east-west axis. It divided the lot into two, informing the design of the two triangular buildings: the museum and its research centre. In the museum, Pei distributed exhibition spaces among three towers that surround a vast, central atrium. The new galleries were made compact to reduce visitor fatigue.

Grand Louvre (1983–1993), Paris

In 1981, French President François Mitterrand invited Pei to redesign the Louvre Museum. The revitalisation of the Louvre rested on the idea of expanding the museum’s space across the whole U-shaped complex, including the Richelieu Wing, which had been occupied by the Ministry of Finance until then. The first phase of the project was completed in 1989, with the glass pyramid marking the museum’s new central entrance in the Cour Napoléon. Beyond this striking addition, Pei also modernised the museum’s overall infrastructure, further integrating the Louvre into the city’s commercial activities and transit system. The renovation of the Richelieu Wing marked the completion of the second phase, unifying the whole museum complex.

Everson Museum of Art (1961–1968), Syracuse, New York

Everson Museum of Art, Pei’s first museum commission, was praised as a ‘work of art for other works of art’ by Progressive Architecture magazine. Completed in 1968, it was the earliest project in downtown Syracuse, New York, built to revive the neighbourhood. Pei proposed a sculptural form of four overhanging cubes above a public plaza. Inside, the four galleries, connected by interior bridges, surround a central court with a spiral concrete staircase as its centrepiece. The museum was lauded by the architectural community and beyond, cementing Pei’s reputation as an architect for cultural institutions.