Editing I. M. Pei (section)

=== 1990–2019: museum projects ===
[[File:Cleveland August 2015 47 (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum).jpg|thumb|alt=The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a gray tiled building, rises over a lake, with a cylinder set on a narrow pole, and a sloping glass wall on one end.|One staff member sympathized with Pei's frustrations with the lack of organization at the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]], admitting that he was "operating in a vacuum".<ref name="WQ307" />]]

As the 1990s began, Pei transitioned into a role of decreased involvement with his firm. The staff had begun to shrink, and Pei wanted to dedicate himself to smaller projects allowing for more creativity. Before he made this change, however, he set to work on his last major project as active partner: the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in [[Cleveland]], Ohio. Considering his work on such bastions of [[high culture]] as the Louvre and U.S. National Gallery, some critics were surprised by his association with what many considered a tribute to [[low culture]]. The sponsors of the hall, however, sought Pei for specifically this reason; they wanted the building to have an aura of respectability from the beginning. Pei accepted the commission in part because of the unique challenge it presented.<ref>Wiseman, pp. 303–306.</ref>

Using a glass wall for the entrance, similar in appearance to his Louvre pyramid, Pei coated the exterior of the main building in white metal, and placed a large cylinder on a narrow perch to serve as a performance space. The combination of off-centered wraparounds and angled walls was, Pei said, designed to provide "a sense of tumultuous youthful energy, rebelling, flailing about".<ref>Quoted in Wiseman, p. 306.</ref>

The building opened in 1995, and was received with moderate praise. ''The New York Times'' called it "a fine building", but Pei was among those who felt disappointed with the results. The museum's early beginnings in New York combined with an unclear mission created a fuzzy understanding among project leaders for precisely what was needed.<ref name="WQ307">Quoted in Wiseman, p. 307.</ref> Although the city of Cleveland benefited greatly from the new tourist attraction, Pei was unhappy with it.<ref name="WQ307" />

At the same time, Pei designed a new museum for [[Luxembourg]], the ''Musée d'art moderne Grand-Duc Jean'', commonly known as the [[Mudam]]. Drawing from the original shape of the [[Fort Thüngen]] walls where the museum was located, Pei planned to remove a portion of the original foundation. Public resistance to the historical loss forced a revision of his plan, however, and the project was nearly abandoned. The size of the building was halved, and it was set back from the original wall segments to preserve the foundation. Pei was disappointed with the alterations, but remained involved in the building process even during construction.<ref>Wiseman, pp. 311–313.</ref>

In 1995, Pei was hired to design an extension to the ''[[Deutsches Historisches Museum]]'', or German Historical Museum in Berlin. Returning to the challenge of the East Building of the U.S. National Gallery, Pei worked to combine a [[Modernism|modernist]] approach with a classical main structure. He described the glass cylinder addition as a "beacon",<ref>Quoted in Wiseman, p. 315.</ref> and topped it with a glass roof to allow plentiful sunlight inside. Pei had difficulty working with German government officials on the project; their utilitarian approach clashed with his passion for aesthetics. "They thought I was nothing but trouble", he said.<ref>Quoted in Wiseman, p. 316.</ref>

Pei also worked at this time on two projects for a [[Japanese new religions|new Japanese religious movement]] called ''[[Shinji Shumeikai]]''. He was approached by the movement's spiritual leader, Kaishu Koyama, who impressed the architect with her sincerity and willingness to give him significant artistic freedom. One of the buildings was a bell tower, designed to resemble the ''[[bachi]]'' used when playing traditional instruments like the ''[[shamisen]]''. Pei was unfamiliar with the movement's beliefs, but explored them in order to represent something meaningful in the tower. As he said: "It was a search for the sort of expression that is not at all technical."<ref>Quoted in Wiseman, p. 300.</ref>

[[File:Miho museum02n3872.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A passageway at the Miho Museum. A curving circular tunnel opens to reveal a building with a tall sloping roof and a circular window in the front door.|Pei's tunnel through a mountain leading to the [[Miho Museum]] was partly inspired by a story from fourth-century Chinese poet [[Tao Yuanming]].<ref>Boehm, pp. 99–100.</ref>]]
The experience was rewarding for Pei, and he agreed immediately to work with the group again. The new project was the [[Miho Museum]], to display Koyama's collection of [[Japanese tea ceremony|tea ceremony]] artifacts. Pei visited the site in [[Shiga Prefecture]], and during their conversations convinced Koyama to expand her collection. She conducted a global search and acquired more than 300&nbsp;items showcasing the history of the [[Silk Road]].<ref>Wiseman, pp. 317–319.</ref>

One major challenge was the approach to the museum. The Japanese team proposed a winding road up the mountain, not unlike the approach to the NCAR building in Colorado. Instead, Pei ordered a hole cut through a nearby mountain, connected to a major road via a bridge suspended from ninety-six steel cables and supported by a post set into the mountain. The museum itself was built into the mountain, with 80&nbsp;percent of the building underground.<ref>Wiseman, pp. 318–320.</ref>

When designing the exterior, Pei borrowed from the tradition of Japanese temples, particularly those found in nearby [[Kyoto]]. He created a concise [[Space frame|spaceframe]] wrapped into French limestone and covered with a glass roof. Pei also oversaw specific decorative details, including a bench in the entrance lobby, carved from a 350-year-old ''[[Zelkova serrata|keyaki]]'' tree. Because of Koyama's considerable wealth, money was rarely considered an obstacle; estimates at the time of completion put the cost of the project at US$350&nbsp;million.<ref>Wiseman, pp. 320–322.</ref>

During the first decade of the 2000s, Pei designed a variety of buildings, including the [[Suzhou Museum]] near his childhood home.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/arts/design/09pei.html |title=I. M. Pei in China, Revisiting Roots |last=Barboza |first=David |date=October 9, 2006 |work=The New York Times |access-date=March 4, 2018 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He also designed the [[Museum of Islamic Art, Doha|Museum of Islamic Art]] in [[Doha]], Qatar<!-- DO NOT LINK, see [[MOS:GEOLINK]] for further guidance -->, at the request of [[Collecting practices of the Al-Thani Family|the Al-Thani Family]]. Although it was originally planned for the [[corniche]] road along [[Doha Bay]], Pei convinced the project coordinators to build a new island to provide the needed space. He then spent six months touring the region and surveying mosques in Spain, Syria, and Tunisia. He was especially impressed with the elegant simplicity of the [[Mosque of Ibn Tulun]] in [[Cairo]].

Once again, Pei sought to combine new design elements with the classical aesthetic most appropriate for the location of the building. The sand-colored rectangular boxes rotate evenly to create a subtle movement, with small arched windows at regular intervals into the limestone exterior. Inside, galleries are arranged around a massive atrium, lit from above. The museum's coordinators were pleased with the project; its official website describes its "true splendour unveiled in the sunlight," and speaks of "the shades of colour and the interplay of shadows paying tribute to the essence of Islamic architecture".<ref name="mia">[http://www.mia.org.qa/en/about/the-museum-building "The Architect: Introduction"]. Museum of Islamic Art. Retrieved December 26, 2009.</ref>

[[File:Centro de Ciência de Macau.jpg|thumb|The [[Macao Science Center]] in Macau, designed by [[Pei Partnership Architects]] in association with I. M. Pei.|alt=The Macao Science Center, a conical steel structure. There is a body of water in front of the building.]]
The [[Macao Science Center]] in Macau was designed by [[Pei Partnership Architects]] in association with I. M. Pei. The project to build the science center was conceived in 2001 and construction started in 2006.<ref>[http://www.msc.org.mo/en/process.php Development & Construction] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119133300/http://www.msc.org.mo/en/process.php |date=November 19, 2011 }}, Macao Science Center.</ref> The center was completed in 2009 and opened by the Chinese President [[Hu Jintao]].<ref name="peopledaily">{{Cite web |date=December 20, 2009 |title=President Hu inaugurates Macao Science Center |url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90785/6847062.html  |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526003857/http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90785/6847062.html |archive-date=May 26, 2013 |website=People's Daily Online}}</ref> The main part of the building is a distinctive conical shape with a spiral walkway and large atrium inside, similar to that of the [[Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum]] in New York City. Galleries lead off the walkway, mainly consisting of interactive exhibits aimed at science education. The building is in a prominent position by the sea and is now a Macau landmark.<ref name="peopledaily" />

Pei's career ended with his death in May 2019, at 102 years of age.<ref name=":1" />