Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1545860 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 340 pages

From 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 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ingram
America's leading modernist architect, Pei has designed some of the most important and controversial buildings of this century, among them the East Building of the National Gallery in Washington and the Kennedy Library in Boston. The dramatic story of Pei's historic renovation of the Louvre, featuring the much-discussed glass pyramid, isfully chronicled. Illustrated.

About the Author
Carter Wiseman, former architecture critic at New York Magazine, is a contributing editor of ARTnews. He has written on architecture and design for such publications as Newsweek, Architectural Record, Interior Design, and American Heritage.

Customer Reviews

The story and glory of I.M. Pei
When one thinks of the name I.M. Pei today, one's mind immediately goes to the Pyramid at the Louvre, Paris, or the Bank of China building in Hong Kong; perhaps one might think of the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. My first thought always goes to the Fine Arts Museum in Bloomington, Indiana, home of my undergraduate college - this building was still considered 'the new museum' when I started in 1982, and it became one of my favourite places on campus, not just because of the glorious collections housed there, but because of the interesting feel of the building architecturally, both inside and out. The kinds of angles and lines on the exterior are reminiscent of other gallery work of Pei; the interior with high-vaulted, complex-girder bounded windows as a lobby between the particular galleries on separate floors (mostly without windows, the better to protect the artwork) is a wonder to sit and contemplate.

This book traces I.M. Pei from his early days as a student (primarily at M.I.T. and Harvard) and protege of Zeckendorf, 'the most flamboyant real estate developer of his time' - Zeckendorf had one of the first car phones in the United States, almost half a century before cell phones would become commonplace. Zeckendorf and Pei made for an interesting team, going from bigger to bigger projects all over the world. However, in the end, Pei had to strike out on his own.

He had already begun to do this on projects like the Luce Memorial Chapel in Taiwan, whose angles and interior design were both inspired and inspirational, showing an unusual harmony of geometric form.

This book traces Pei through early struggles with less inspiring projects that he nonetheless managed to give creative flair, through to later projects that, having gained an international reputation, he could finally command with great creative freedom. He was now a recognised artist. He continued to do 'regular' work for corporations, schools, housing and municipal organisations, but he could also command the 'plum' jobs of significant and lasting structures.

Many of his works show a genius not only of design for the structures themselves but also an appreciation of the environment in which they are situated. Examples of this include the towers in Philadelphia, which soar over the much older buildings in the city without detracting from their own variety of 'Revolutionary' flair, and the Fragrant Hill Hotel in Beijing, which incorporated the Chinese sense of interconnectedness of buildings with gardens and nature.

This is a beautifully done book, with hundreds of illustrations throughout a text that is both informative and accessible, interesting in being written as a story and set of reminiscences rather than a straight architectural treatise.

Well written, a bit thin on actual work
This book is ideal for the reader who enjoys the traditional format of architectural history. It contains background information, interesting stories behind some of I. M. Pei's most famous works, and a nice biographical sketch of the architect. Arguably, it is also one of the more "comprehensive" monogram that features Pei's architecture.

Although the photographs are beautiful, this book lacks depth if you are planning to study Pei's work. The plans are too small and are only mere fragments of the buildings. Photographs are artistically taken and fail to give a sense of the entire spatial composition of Pei's intricate design. None of the buildings are examined critically.

All in all, if you are looking for an entertaining reading then this book is ideal for you. But if you are looking into critically understanding Pei's work, then this book is really insufficient.

Great book
I am a software engineer, but I love modern architectures. I.M. Pei is my favorite architect, this book gives me a lot of background information about some of the most important buildings Pei designed (do I still need to list some of them?!). I enjoyed reading the book so much.