I.M. Pei's World [Images]

[Questor]

Architect I.M. Pei and his plan for OKC was brought up again in another thread. I think the context was whether or not his plan would have been successful for OKC had it been fully realized. I thought it might be interesting to scour the intarwebs for some images of his work. Enjoy....

L'Enfant Plaza, Washington, DC.:


Luce Memorial Chapel, Taiwan:


National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO:


Dallas City Hall:


Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University:


National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC:


Interior of the National Gallery of Art:


Bank of China Tower:


Center of Science, Macau.:


Perhaps one of his most famous works... the JFK Library:


Perhaps one of his most infamous works... definitely most controversial... The Louvre Pyramid:


Visions of Oklahoma City?:

[mcca7596]

They held a Better Block Party at the Dallas City Hall Plaza last year because it is usually very empty; I'm just saying that some of his more brutalist works don't seem to be too inviting.

I think that Oklahoma City's core is ultimately going to be better off after Maps3 is done than it would have been after a full 30 year realization of Pei's Plan. Now, if no large scale demolition had taken place and downtown received the same kind of investment/redevelopment in the early 60's with that era's existing architecture... that could have been a superior environment than what we have now.

[Steve]

Some of his work truly is stunning. Yet other work is brutal, designed for form, not function, and often devoid of life. From all my research, his plans for OKC were more in line with Dallas City Hall. Everytime I've driven by that building, it looks as it does in the photo posted - deserted on the outside, cold and brutal in appearance. There was some validity to what was attempted by I.M. Pei. Some of his plans benefit downtown even today. But his proposed designs... glad he didn't get as far he hoped.
To read more about Pei's work in OKC, visit www.impeiokc.com

[SharkSandwich]

I agree with Steve. Some of his stuff is really interesting and beautiful. But some of his other stuff looks like my toddler's giant Lego block buildings.

[KayneMo]

One of my favorite works of Pei is Fountain Place in Dallas. A truly stunning building!
I took these last summer:

[Teo9969]

Fountain place is pretty cool.

I really like the Bank of China Tower in Questor's post.

[Spartan]

You can't categorically despise every single one of these projects, but you can easily notice that many of them put the brutal in brutalism.

[MDot]

Fountain place is pretty cool.

I really like the Bank of China Tower in Questor's post.

Yep, yep.

[gurantula35]

i am still a newbie here, what plans for OKC does this guy have?

[UnFrSaKn]

Post #3

Some of his work truly is stunning. Yet other work is brutal, designed for form, not function, and often devoid of life. From all my research, his plans for OKC were more in line with Dallas City Hall. Everytime I've driven by that building, it looks as it does in the photo posted - deserted on the outside, cold and brutal in appearance. There was some validity to what was attempted by I.M. Pei. Some of his plans benefit downtown even today. But his proposed designs... glad he didn't get as far he hoped.
To read more about Pei's work in OKC, visit www.impeiokc.com

[ljbab728]

i am still a newbie here, what plans for OKC does this guy have?

gurantula, it's a matter of what plans he had many years ago.

[Questor]

With the exception of the interior of the National Museum, I am much fonder of the work he did with glass and metal. What we would have ended up with here would have undoubtedly been the stuff he was doing during the height of his cement work.

I also really like Bank of China Tower.

[Thundercitizen]

His National Gallery of Art was a subject of study in the School of Architecture...2 or 3 decades ago.