Iconic architect I.M. Pei has died at the age of 102. Pei was one of the most prolific and influential architects of the last century and he leaves a legacy that includes the controversial modernist pyramid renovation of the Louvre and, more recently, an incredible geometric take on Islamic architecture in the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar.
Pei's work, and life, perhaps best defines the unique globalized modernist movement of the 20th century, although Pei himself resolutely rejected being labeled with a singular aesthetic.
"The talk about modernism versus post-modernism is unimportant. It's a side issue," Pei was once quoted as saying. "An individual building, the style in which it is going to be designed and built, is not that important. The important thing, really, is the community. How does it affect life?"
Born in China in 1917, Pei moved to the United States in 1935 to study before establishing his own architecture firm in 1955 and going on to create an incredible assortment of structures across the world. From museums to skyscrapers, Pei's work beautifully threaded a needle between pragmatic and audacious, always understanding the importance of a structure fitting in with its surrounding environment but never fearing bold geometric shapes.
Take a look through our gallery celebrating some of Pei's most incredible, influential and iconic work.
