Friday, December 20, 2024

[In-person] Lee Quo Wei Room, Asia Society Hong Kong Center

6:30 Registration

6:45 Opening remarks

6:50 Presentation

7:35 Q&A

7:45 End

ASHK member price: HKD60

Non-member price: HKD80

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The first major retrospective on the legendary architect I. M. Pei, M+ Museum's I.M. Pei: Life is Architecture, will be ending on Jan 5, 2025. To mark the occasion, join ASHKC as we delve into his legacy and impact on the contemporary world with architect Bing Lin, who had worked closely with Pei for over a decade and is especially qualified to speak on the late architect's prolific career.

With an expansive collection of previously unseen archival materials, M+ brings to public view a large body of work by Pei over his remarkably long and illustrious career. A "busy" architect, Pei believed firmly in hard work over pure theory and empty rhetoric. From his early years as a Harvard student, when he challenged Walter Gropius over the lack of humanity in Bauhaus architecture's embrace of the machine, to the commission of some of the world's most prestigious cultural institutions - the Louvre, the National Gallery of Art's East Wing, and the Miho Museum, just to name a few - Pei had always been motivated by a great sense of humanity. Beyond his exceptional talent in design and diligent work ethics, Pei also possessed a diplomatic sensibility and disarming charm that enabled him to not only work with but also befriend an extensive range of clients, from royalties to developers, as well as scientists and politicians.

To unpack Pei's impressive body of work, we are joined by Bing Lin, who was not only involved with various Chinese publications on Pei, but also collaborated with Pei on the design of Suzhou Museum and China Embassy in the USA. Having worked alongside Pei for twelve years, Lin is uniquely qualified to discuss the context behind Pei's projects, and to help reveal Pei's true legacy beyond the considerable collection of models, drawings and photos presented in the museum.