The Two Men Who Discovered I. M. Pei

I. M. Pei—Ieoh Ming Pei, or 貝聿銘 in Chinese—was one of the most renowned architects of the 20th century and remains a source of great pride for many Chinese people around the world. When he died in 2019 at the age of 102, he left behind a remarkable body of work that included the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, and many other internationally recognized buildings. He was also one of the architects who demonstrated that modern architecture could be both boldly contemporary and deeply connected to history and place.

Pei was admired not only by Chinese people but by people of many different backgrounds around the world. His architecture had a remarkable ability to communicate across cultures.

There is also an interesting detail about his Chinese name. The character 聿 in 貝聿銘 is easy to mispronounce. In Mandarin, it is pronounced yù, the same pronunciation as “玉,” rather than “律.” The character originally referred to a writing brush in classical Chinese. In Cantonese, 聿 has several recorded pronunciations, and in the name 貝聿銘, leot6 and jyut6 are both encountered.

My First Encounter with I. M. Pei

I first learned about I. M. Pei when I was a junior-high-school student at the Affiliated High School of South China Normal University. I discovered an article about him in the school library, and I was immediately fascinated by his extraordinary life and career.

At that time, I had no idea that architecture would eventually become my profession. But Pei's story made a very deep impression on me. He became one of my role models in life and one of the important reasons I eventually decided to study architecture.

Many years later, when I was interviewing for an architectural position in the United States, I told the interviewer that I. M. Pei was my role model and described him as an architect who was “one in a hundred.”

The interviewer immediately corrected me.

“No,” he said. “I. M. Pei is one in a thousand, one in ten thousand, or even one in a million.”

I have never forgotten that comment. It gave me a sense of just how highly Pei was regarded among American architects.

From the University of Pennsylvania to MIT

Pei came to the United States in 1935 to study architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. At the time, the school's architectural education was strongly influenced by the Beaux-Arts tradition, with its emphasis on classical architecture, formal composition, and architectural drawing.

Pei was much more attracted to the emerging language of modern architecture. He also felt intimidated by the exceptional drawing skills of some of his classmates.

For a time, he seriously considered giving up architecture and transferring to the engineering program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

When I. M. Pei arrived at MIT in 1935, the School of Architecture was led by William Emerson, who served as dean from 1919 to 1939. Emerson played a pivotal role in Pei’s academic journey by encouraging him to pursue architecture and not transfer into engineering, helping set the course for what would become one of the most influential architectural careers of the twentieth century.

That decision turned out to be one of the most important turning points in his life.

At MIT, Pei encountered a more modern architectural environment and eventually became convinced that architecture was the field he wanted to pursue. He graduated from MIT in 1940 with a bachelor's degree in architecture.

But perhaps even more important was what happened to him in 1935.

The Two Days with Le Corbusier

While exploring the MIT library, Pei discovered the writings of the great modernist architect Le Corbusier. The young Pei was deeply influenced by what he read.

Then, almost unbelievably, Le Corbusier came to MIT in 1935.

Pei was able to spend two days with him. Years later, Pei described those two days as among the most important experiences of his architectural education. The National Gallery of Art records his famous recollection that those two days with Le Corbusier were probably the most important days of his architectural education.

For a young architecture student searching for his own direction, meeting one of the most influential architects of the modern movement must have been an extraordinary experience.

Le Corbusier helped confirm for Pei that modern architecture was not simply a passing fashion. It could become a new architectural language.

Harvard and the Bauhaus Masters

After completing his undergraduate education at MIT, Pei went on to Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, where he received his master's degree in architecture in 1946.

At Harvard, Pei encountered another important group of mentors and influences. Two of the most significant were Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus, and Marcel Breuer, another major figure associated with the Bauhaus and modern architecture.

Their approach to architecture was very different from the traditional Beaux-Arts education Pei had initially encountered. Pei was attracted to the modernist ideas of simplicity, structure, materials, function, and spatial composition.

His Harvard years also became important for another reason. He developed relationships with classmates, teachers, and young architects who would later become important members of his professional circle.

In many ways, Pei was gradually building not only his architectural knowledge but also the professional network that would eventually support his extraordinary career.

The Second Man Who Discovered I. M. Pei

If Le Corbusier helped discover the architect within Pei, another man helped discover Pei's potential as a major professional architect.

That man was William Zeckendorf, one of the most influential real-estate developers in New York.

In 1948, Zeckendorf recruited Pei to join Webb & Knapp, the major real-estate development company he led, and appointed him director of architecture. Pei remained with the company for approximately seven years before establishing his own firm in 1955.

This was a tremendously important opportunity.

Pei was no longer simply an architect designing individual buildings. Through Webb & Knapp, he became involved in large-scale real-estate development and urban projects. He gained experience working with developers, planners, engineers, government officials, contractors, and many other professionals.

This experience taught him something that architectural school alone could never have taught him: how architecture actually works within the larger world of cities, economics, politics, development, and human relationships.

Pei also had an unusual ability to communicate with people. He could establish relationships quickly and move comfortably among architects, developers, business leaders, government officials, and members of the cultural establishment.

Within a relatively short period, he became a central figure in Webb & Knapp's architectural operation.

As his workload increased, Pei brought talented architects and colleagues into his organization. Among them were people he had known from Harvard and other stages of his career. One of the young architects who joined him was Henry N. Cobb, who would later become one of Pei's most important professional partners.

An Opportunity That Most Architects Never Get

This period of Pei's career is particularly important to me because it demonstrates something beyond architectural talent.

There are many excellent architects in the world. Many of them are intelligent, creative, hardworking, and capable of designing beautiful buildings.

But talent alone does not guarantee a great career.

An architect also needs opportunities.

Pei was fortunate to encounter a developer like William Zeckendorf at a critical moment in his career. Zeckendorf gave him something that many young architects could only dream of: the opportunity to participate in major projects and to work directly with the people and institutions that shaped American cities.

But opportunity alone was not enough.

Pei had to recognize the opportunity, accept the challenge, build relationships, assemble a talented team, and repeatedly demonstrate that he was capable of handling increasingly important commissions.

That combination—talent, opportunity, relationships, leadership, and the ability to seize a moment—helped transform Pei from a talented young architect into an internationally recognized master.

In 1955, Pei left Webb & Knapp and established his own architectural practice with Henry N. Cobb and Eason H. Leonard. His firm would eventually become Pei Cobb Freed & Partners.

Although Pei and Zeckendorf eventually went their separate professional ways, their relationship remained an important part of Pei's early career.

From a Young Architect to a Master

Looking back at Pei's life, I think there were several critical moments.

First, he discovered modern architecture.

Then he met Le Corbusier.

At Harvard, he studied under and alongside some of the leading figures of modern architecture.

Then William Zeckendorf gave him an extraordinary professional opportunity.

Finally, Pei built his own firm and developed a design philosophy that was distinctly his own.

Pei's architecture became known for its strong geometric forms, careful proportions, sophisticated handling of light and space, and frequent use of glass, stone, steel, and concrete. His work was deeply influenced by modernism and, in particular, by Cubism. The National Gallery of Art notes that Pei himself connected Cubism to the origins of modern architecture and identified several of his major projects as being directly influenced by Cubist ideas.

Yet Pei's architecture was never simply about geometry.

One of his greatest achievements was his ability to place modern architecture within historic and culturally sensitive environments. The Louvre Pyramid is perhaps the most famous example. What initially generated intense criticism ultimately became one of the world's most recognizable architectural landmarks.

His career eventually brought him the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1983, the AIA Gold Medal in 1979, and numerous other international honors.

What I Learned from I. M. Pei

The reason I have admired I. M. Pei since I was a teenager is not simply that he designed beautiful buildings.

It is the story behind those buildings.

Pei's life reminds me that becoming a great architect requires much more than learning how to draw or design.

You need to develop your own architectural vision.

You need mentors who can open your eyes to new possibilities.

You need colleagues and teachers who challenge you.

You need the ability to communicate with people outside your profession.

And, perhaps most importantly, when a rare opportunity comes along, you need to recognize it and have the courage and ability to seize it.

Le Corbusier helped open the young Pei's eyes to the possibilities of modern architecture.

William Zeckendorf gave him the opportunity to test those ideas in the real world of development and large-scale projects.

Pei then did something that neither mentor could do for him: he created his own path.

That, to me, is perhaps the most inspiring part of I. M. Pei's story.

He was not simply an architect who designed famous buildings.

He was an architect who understood architecture, people, business, cities, history, culture, and opportunity—and was able to bring all of them together.

That is why, decades after I first discovered his story in a middle-school library in China, I still consider I. M. Pei one of my most important role models.

Gang Chen, Publisher/Bestselling Author (GreenExamEducation.com)

Architect, LEED AP BD+C, Real Estate Broker (BRE# 01232392)