The last, and only time I.M. Pei worked in his native China was in 1982 when he designed a Beijing luxury hotel. Disappointed in that work, Pei jumped at the chance to return to China once again to design the Suzhou Museum.
"For I. M. Pei, the sprawling white stucco museum that opened to great fanfare here this weekend is both a possible swan song and a second chance.
The only other building he has ever designed in mainland China, a luxury hotel completed in Beijing in 1982, was a disappointment that he says was rescued only by its beautiful setting in the woods. 'I was saved by the trees,' he said ruefully in an interview Saturday afternoon.
This time Mr. Pei believes he has succeeded, he said. Returning to his ancestral home 100 miles northwest of Shanghai, he has designed a $40 million building that he hopes will help point the way toward a new type of architecture in the world's fastest-growing economy, a building that is Chinese in spirit yet ultimately modern.
'I've never done anything like this before, said Mr. Pei, the 89-year-old architect, who was nursing a cold and sipping from a cup of hot water. 'I've used gray and white, which are Suzhou colors. But the form is modern.'"
FULL STORY: I. M. Pei in China, Revisiting Roots
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
Judge Halts Trump Order Tying State Transportation Grants to Immigration Actions
Ruling applies to Colorado, which was among 20 plaintiff states.
New York MTA to Reimagine Subway Bottleneck
Changes proposed in a recently approved five-year plan would resolve a nearly century-old snarl that routinely delays trains.
Southern Californians Survey Trees for Destructive Oak Pest
Hundreds of volunteers across five counties participated in the first Goldspotted Oak Borer Blitz, surveying oak trees for signs of the invasive beetle and contributing valuable data to help protect Southern California’s native woodlands.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)