Ieoh Ming Pei said: To make something continue to shine, you must absorb its essence, otherwise it will be just a trend and fleeting.

In various trends, Bei insists on his own style and design concepts, and does not modify or even give up just because he is not accepted by people. "It doesn't matter whether others accept it or not." , the important thing is that you can accept it." It is with this persistence that Pei's buildings are spread all over the world; it is with this persistence that Pei's works stand out in the world with their unique characteristics; it is with this persistence that Pei's works make the Chinese style of architecture Blown all over the world. ?

Beckinz style

As the last "master" of modernist architecture, he was an architect who focused on abstract forms. His preferred materials include only stone, concrete, glass and steel.

As a practical architect, he has many works but few publications. The influence of his work on architectural theory is basically limited to his works themselves.

As a man who is deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture, especially Chinese aesthetics, he has spread Chinese style all over the world, both in terms of architectural style and architectural concepts.

Ieoh Ming Pei was not only an outstanding architectural scientist who built many gorgeous palaces with pens and rulers; he was also an extremely idealistic architectural artist who was good at integrating ancient traditional architectural art with the latest modern technology. In one furnace, they create their own unique style. Pei himself said: "Although architecture and art are different, they are essentially the same. My goal is to seek the harmonious unity of the two." Facts have proved that the persistent pursuit of architectural art is an important aspect of his career success. .

What is most praised in his architectural design is that he cares about the interests of the common people. He designed many popular apartments in New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Chicago that were both architecturally beautiful and economical. Rice University in Philadelphia awarded him the honorable title of "People's Architect" in 1963. In the same year, the American Institute of Architecture awarded him the New York Honor Award. The Washington Post called his architectural design an urban plan that truly serves the people.

There are shadows of Mies in Pei's early works, but unlike Mies, he used glass as the main building material. Pei used concrete, such as the Franklin National Bank in New York. In the middle period, after many years of experience, Pei Shi fully mastered the properties of concrete, and his works tended to have a sense of Kirby's Italian sculpture, such as the National Atmospheric Research Center. Later, as the exclusive architect of Chishi Vinai Company, Pei was engaged in large-scale urban construction projects. Pei gained valuable experience in land use from these development projects, which enabled his architectural design to not only consider the building itself, but also the Concerns about the environment have been elevated to the level of urban design, focusing on creating a sense of community and community space. The most popular one is undoubtedly the Social Ridge residential community in Philadelphia.

Architecture integrates the concept of natural space, which dominated Bei's works throughout his life, such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Iverson Museum of Art, the Sculpture Gallery of the Demoy Art Center, and the Jiangson Museum of Art at Cornell University, etc. . The most common feature of these works is the inner courtyard, which connects the inner and outer spaces and integrates nature into the architecture. In his late works, Pei's works paid more attention to the investment of natural light in technique, making the inner courtyard a light court, such as the Changchun Hall of the Fragrant Hill Hotel, the atrium of the Bank of China in Hong Kong, and the glass pyramid of the Louvre in Paris. The combination of light and space makes the space changeable. "Let light do the design" is Pei's famous saying.

“In my thinking, ‘people-oriented’ may be the most obvious, which is also the difference between Chinese and Western cultures.” “I think the proportion of people in architectural design is very important, and I always try to This should be done well in the design. " "I think the city is like the human body, with a heart, lungs, intestines and stomach. New York's Central Park is like the lungs of New York, and Suzhou gardens are the lungs of Suzhou; the big roads are the large intestine of the city. , and the small alleys are the small intestines of the city, large and small, and they are indispensable. Urban design is closely related to the human body, but the scale is different. "Bai hopes to embody "human nature" through the combination of delicacy, lyricism and beauty. ——This is also the most important manifestation of Pei’s Chinese style.

Ecological Architecture - Suzhou Museum

The new Suzhou Museum is located in the historical protection district in the north of the ancient city of Suzhou, adjacent to the Humble Administrator's Garden and Prince Zhong's Mansion of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The designed area is 15,000 square meters. meters, with a total investment of 338 million yuan including demolition. After the design was completed, the museum collected the treasures of the 2,500-year-old Suzhou city. The building not only made up for the lack of a place to collect ancient relics, but also became a famous traditional yet modern building in Suzhou. The museum includes a 7,000 m2 exhibition hall, a 200-seat auditorium, an antiquities shop, administrative offices, and a documentary library and research center, as well as a space for storage and Chinese gardens.

“In terms of the overall layout, the new museum cleverly uses the water surface to integrate with the Humble Administrator’s Garden, a world cultural heritage, and Prince Zhong’s Mansion, a national key cultural relic protection unit. An extension and a modern interpretation. "The roof design of the new museum is inspired by Suzhou's traditional sloped roof landscape - cornices and meticulous architectural details. However, the new roof has been reinterpreted by technology and evolved into a wonderful geometric effect. The glass roof will complement the stone roof, allowing natural light to enter event areas and exhibition areas of the museum, orienting visitors. Metal sunshades and nostalgic wooden frames will be used extensively under the glass roof to control and filter the sun's rays entering the exhibition area. The changes in the levels of light make people enter poetry and painting, which is wonderful. The new museum and the Humble Administrator's Garden will borrow scenery from each other and complement each other. It will become a modern continuation of the famous garden of the generation, the Humble Administrator's Garden.

The new museum is divided into three parts: the central part is the entrance, hall and museum garden; the western part is the exhibition area; the eastern part is the modern art gallery, educational facilities, tea service and administrative functional areas. This part also It will become the actual passage connecting to Prince Chung’s Palace.

However, the greatest feature of the Suzhou Museum is reflected in the harmony between man and ecology:

First, the good location of the museum. The completion of the new Suzhou Museum has made the Humble Administrator's Garden historical district more culturally and leisurely. The new museum will become a modern continuation of the famous Humble Administrator's Garden, embodying the idea of ??preserving and developing an overall culture. Building a new museum next to the old Suzhou Museum Zhongwangfu, the new museum and the old museum complement each other. This "double-sided embroidery" design concept integrates the two into a harmonious and ecological unity, which is not only conducive to saving investment, but also beneficial to The full play of the functions of the museum itself will help to express the harmonious beauty of the connection and development of cultural heritage between history and reality. Due to historical reasons, the area has formed a cultural core area. The addition of new museums will help to exert the linkage effect of the concentration of tourist attractions, highlight the characteristics of the famous city, and enhance the advantages of the ancient city.

Second, the unique architectural style. The new building is built in a new building with different heights. Dark gray stone with uniform color is used as the roof and the white wall under it is surrounded by stone edges. It matches the white wall, is fresh and elegant, and matches the traditional urban texture of Suzhou. The integration adds new interpretation connotation to the Jiangnan architectural symbol of white walls and black tiles.

The new building uses an open steel structure, replacing the wooden structure materials of Suzhou’s traditional buildings. This feature can be seen in the main entrance of the new building, the skylight corridor, the cool hall and the inner ceiling of the different exhibition halls. The open steel structure is not only the skeleton of the building, but also a stylistic feature. It brings simplicity and brightness to the building, and makes it possible and guaranteed for architectural innovation and functional expansion.

The unique roof form of the new building breaks through the constraints of the "big roof" of traditional Chinese architecture in terms of lighting. On the roof of the new building, the design of the pyramid-shaped glass skylight within the three-dimensional geometric frame is full of wisdom, interest and ingenuity. The new building uses the triangle as a prominent modeling element and structural feature, which is reflected in every detail of the building. In the central hall and many exhibition halls, the frame lines of the roof are composed of large and small squares and triangles. The glass and white ceilings within the frame are intertwined, like a geometric illusion painting, giving people a wonderful visual experience.

The gate of the new building is a glass double-eaves double-sided slope-type metal beam structure. It not only contains the styling elements of the gate in traditional architectural culture, but also gives it a new style with modern materials.

The product of the perfect combination of architects and diplomats - the glass pyramid in the Louvre

The Louvre in Paris, founded in the 13th century, is the largest and oldest museum in the world One of them, it is world-famous for its collection of the "Three Treasures of the World" Venus statue, Mona Lisa oil painting and the stone sculpture of the Goddess of Victory. However, by the time of Mitterrand, the Louvre was in disrepair and was already dilapidated. There were only two toilets in the huge exhibition hall for public use. The complex structure was even more confusing for tourists. It was even rated as the least worth visiting at that time. 's museum. Renovation of the Louvre is imminent.

In 1983, Mitterrand appointed the Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei to be responsible for the renovation project of the Louvre. This decision immediately stunned the French, who had a strong sense of superiority. At that time, Mitterrand invited 15 museum directors in the world, and 13 of them all recommended the same person. He was I.M. Pei, who had just completed the East Building of the Washington Museum of Art and became famous in the United States. It is the only major project in France that is awarded directly to the architect without competition.

The candidate appointed by the president immediately aroused strong opposition from French people from all walks of life who have high self-esteem in art. They said that Paris, the capital of art, did not welcome a Chinese-American to restore their treasure house. . In the face of the wave of opposition, Pei played the historical card. He said that he came from China, which has an ancient civilization, and would definitely respect French traditions. However, the opposition did not diminish.

Under tremendous pressure, Pei came up with the design drawings of the reconstruction project. The core of which was to build a glass pyramid-shaped entrance in the U-shaped Louvre atrium "Napoleon Court". As soon as the plan was announced, there was a greater wave of opposition. Many French people shouted: Don't give up the pyramid and hand over the Louvre; some officials even ridiculed it as "a shabby diamond".

Survey shows that 90% of French people oppose the pyramid plan. As a result, I.M. Pei was involved in the whirlpool of political power struggle. He recalled that his translator was so frightened that she was shaking all over; when he had to defend his plan, she could barely complete the translation. At that time, I.M. Pei was facing the most severe test in his career.

In the face of nationwide opposition, I.M. Pei has always maintained a calm and unhurried confidence. He went among the people and patiently explained his pyramid; he lobbied on television: "Paris should be a living, evolving organism." He visited Madame Pompidou and convinced her that "art must be full of modern spirit", allowing her and a group of celebrities to transform from opponents to supporters. In the political dispute, he even turned one of Mitterrand's main political opponents, Paris Mayor Chirac, into his ally. Pei first sincerely discussed Paris city planning with this political strongman, and talked about art and Chinese artworks. Finally, he said: "Opening the Louvre means opening Paris." Chirac finally publicly stated in front of reporters that he supported the pyramid plan, but there was one requirement: Pei must first erect an entity of the same size in the Louvre The model was tested by the public. In the end, a total of 60,000 Parisians visited the physical model and held a referendum like a presidential election. As a result, the model conquered Chirac and the French.

But this was just the beginning. When the first excavator started, I.M. Pei encountered new problems. In his planning, a key point of the reconstruction plan was to move the Ministry of Finance out of the Louvre wing and let the Louvre move out. The floating palace was restored to a complete U-shape and opened to tourists through the pyramid connection, but the heads of the Ministry of Finance were unwilling to withdraw from the most luxurious office space in the world.

In the end, media reports played a role. As a result, the Ministry of Finance withdrew from the Louvre. In March 1988, Mitterrand awarded I.M. Pei the highest medal of honor in the completed pyramid. The strongly opposed pyramid has become the pride of every French person, and the "humble diamond" has become a "bright gem". At one time, people's enthusiasm for the pyramid even eclipsed the Eiffel Tower.

Two-thirds of tourists would rather queue in front of the glass pyramid than enter the Louvre through the other two entrances.

Beijing said: It is impossible to find any new building that can be integrated with the old palace that has been dulled by time. The completely transparent glass pyramid can not only provide valuable light inside the museum, but also reflect the surrounding old buildings, allowing them to echo each other. Moreover, this simple geometric figure not only does not appear obtrusive, but can set off the solemnity and majesty of the Louvre. It can also be integrated with the Arc de Triomphe and the obelisk of the Place de la Concorde, adding to the central axis of Paris. In addition, the pyramid shape can minimize the impact on the main building in terms of sight.

The addition of a glass pyramid with a strong modern flavor revived this ancient Baroque palace of more than eight centuries, achieving the greatest glory of I.M. Pei’s life. He incorporated the modernist design that he had always advocated into classical architecture, and also proposed a new proposition for the architectural world. The tenacity, strategy and diplomacy he demonstrated during the Louvre restoration project made the world fully appreciate his personality charm.

With the perseverance of the Chinese people, Pei proved that Chinese architects can also create miracles in the West. Pei's Chinese style spirit has deeply influenced the architectural world and even the entire world.

This article is reproduced from Sina Blog ? Zhijiang