11 I. M. Pei Quotes for You to Enjoy

I. M. Pei

American Architect

Born: Apr 26, 1917

Architecture Life Light Me Think You

Related authors: Christopher Alexander Frank Gehry Frank Lloyd Wright Louis Kahn Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Maya Lin Neri Oxman Philip Johnson

Modern architecture needed to be part of an evolutionary, not a revolutionary, process. I. M. Pei

Architecture Evolutionary Part Revolutionary Modern Process Needed

The essence of architecture is form and space, and light is the essential element to the key to architectural design, probably more important than anything. Technology and materials are secondary. I. M. Pei

Technology Architecture Key Light Space Important Design Secondary Architectural More Materials Than Essence Essential Form Anything Element

In northern architecture - the cathedrals of Europe and all the little churches - the details, the carving of stone, become necessary because the light is not there to help you very much. You have to enrich surfaces. The desert reduces form to its simplest nature. There is no need for gargoyles or flying buttresses in the desert. I. M. Pei

Nature You Architecture Light Become Enrich Churches Flying Details Carving Simplest Cathedrals Because Very Stone Northern Form Little Much Help Europe Desert Necessary Need

I came, I studied architecture in America, so my technical background's completely western. But my seventeen years, the formative years of one's life, and I can't say that the Chineseness in me is not there. I. M. Pei

Life Me Architecture Seventeen Seventeen Years Background Say Studied Came Years Western America Formative Technical

Architecture must not do violence to space or its neighbors. I. M. Pei

Architecture Space Neighbors Must Violence

I liked the America of Bing Crosby, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton - it was all a dream, of course, but a very alluring dream for a young man from Canton. I. M. Pei

Man Young Chaplin Dream Charlie Charlie Chaplin Crosby Alluring Liked Course Very America Young Man Keaton Buster Bing Bing Crosby

The first decent building I did with my own practice was a chapel in Taiwan. I. M. Pei

First Practice Building Own Chapel My Own Taiwan Did Decent

I arrived in the U.S.A. in 1935, to San Francisco. I got the boat from China, and I didn't even speak English. I could read a little, perhaps write a little, but that was all. It was a 17-day journey, and I learnt to speak English from the stewards. I. M. Pei

Journey Speak Francisco Could Write Perhaps Read Stewards Got Learnt Arrived San San Francisco China Little Boat English Even

I think the artistic side of architecture was natural to me. My mother was an artist and a poet. I. M. Pei

Me Natural Architecture Mother Poet Think Side Artist Artistic

I. M. Pei Quotes

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