Louvre pyramid architect I. M. Pei's grand legacy

Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei studied under some of the finest teachers at Harvard and embarked on a successful career soon after the end of World War II. By the time he was 40, he had his own architectural firm in New York. His career was shaped by the major global events of the 20th century, which he interpreted and expressed through architecture.

The assassination of US President John F. Kennedy propelled Pei's career to new heights, as his design was chosen for the Kennedy Library in Boston (1979). A number of delays caused the original design to be compromised. Pei said he regretted not being allowed to dedicate a glass pyramid to the slain president at the center of the building, but he later revived the idea for another project.

Parallel to his work on the Kennedy Library, I. M. Pei also designed the extension of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. (1978). His design features open spaces and hidden windows which flood the interior of the building with natural light. French President Francois Mitterand was so impressed that he commissioned Pei to design the new entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Pei's design for the Louvre pyramid has become the most iconic landmark of Paris after the Eiffel Tower. However, the modernist structure faced what appeared to be insurmountable opposition from Parisians, who disliked the idea of marrying a historic building with a contemporary design. The pyramid, finished in 1989, also embodied the social struggles between political factions at the time.

The Bank of China, located in Hong Kong, was the last big project that I. M. Pei took on before officially retiring in 1990. Completed that same year, the impressive building not only withstands Hong Kong's harsh winds, but also adds character to the city's skyline. Local opponents, however, remarked that the edifice lacked integrity according to feng shui guidelines.

The Musée d'art moderne Grand-Duc Jean in Luxemburg, known as MUDAM, was one of the smaller projects that Pei took on after retiring in 1990. While he'd initially planned a much larger building, in the end he was obligated to modify his design so that the museum would fit into the walls of these fortress ruins.

Germany also got its small piece of I. M. Pei with the 2003 extension of the German Historical Museum in Berlin. Like in Paris, Pei clashed with local authorities when it came to realizing his vision. The extension is hidden away from the facade of the 18th-century building it compliments, and Pei's glass and steel structures provide additional space for a number of added galleries at the museum.

Pei was born in the Chinese city of Suzhou in 1917. Many decades later, he designed the city's museum for traditional art from the region. Representing a modern take on classic Chinese architecture, the building was opened in 2006 and was well suited to the city known as the "Venice of the East." Suzhou is famous for its gardens and canals.

The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, was one of the later projects that I. M. Pei pursued. Having long retired from full-time consulting as a master architect, he told authorities in Qatar his personal requirements - and they agreed. The museum is built on an artificial island, as per Pei's wishes, and is influenced by Islamic architecture. It was opened in 2008.