Category: History Lesson

Ieoh Ming Pei, more commonly known as I.M. Pei, was a Chinese-American architect who moved to the United States in 1935 to study architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Once arriving Pei was so discouraged by the teaching style of his professors and intimidated by the skill levels of his peers that he decided to transfer to MIT and changed his major to engineering. However, not long after arriving, the dean of MIT’s architecture school noticed his eye for design and encouraged Pei to switch back to architecture.

Pei was most inspired by Swiss architect, Le Corbusier and had the opportunity to meet him when he visited MIT. Pei referred to the time Corbusier visited MIT as “the most important day in my architectural education.” Pei graduated from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in architecture.

After graduating, he joined the Harvard Graduate School of Design and befriended architects Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. In 1948, Pei was recruited by William Zeckendorf and worked for seven years before establishing his own independent design firm, I. M. Pei & Associates, in 1955 which later became Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. Pei retired from full-time practice in 1990.

Check out a few of his most popular works below:

Louvre Pyramid

Pei was the first foreigner to work on the Louvre. He proposal included a central entrance to link the three museum buildings. At the center of his design was a large pyramid made of glass and steel. At the time, there was large opposition from the Louvre director and even the majority of the citizens of Paris. As a response to his, Pei placed a full-size model of pyramid in the courtyard. Almost 60,000 people visited the Louvre to see it and Pei gained enough support to go ahead with his plans. The courtyard was opened to the public in 1988 and the pyramid entrance opened a few months later. The Louvre Pyramid is considered Pei’s most famous structure.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

One project Pei considered his “most important commission” was the John F. Kennedy Library. This library was built as a memorial after the President’s assassination in 1963. Jackie Kennedy picked Pei to complete the project. Pei had to submit multiple designs and site locations before the project was moved to Columbia Point. The new design included a large glass-enclosed atrium and a circular walkway. The Library was dedicated in October 1979.

National Gallery East Building

In the 1960s, directors of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. offered Pei the commission on a new building.

Pei took to the project and his first obstacle was the unusual shape of the site. Inspiration struck Pei in 1968, when he scrawled a rough diagram of two triangles on a scrap of paper. The larger building would be the public gallery; the smaller would house offices and archives. This triangular shape became a singular vision for the architect.

Pei expected large crowds of people to visit the new building, so he planned accordingly. He designed a large lobby roofed with skylights. Individual galleries are located along the sides, which allowed visitors to return after viewing each exhibit to the main room.

The East Building was unveiled to the public in June 1978. Large crowds visited the new museum, and critics generally voiced their approval. Fellow architect Allan Greenberg called the building a “masterpiece.”

Marcel Breuer Cesca Chair – 1928

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“It’s among the 10 most important chairs of the 20th century,” Said Cara McCarty, associate curator, department of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art. It’s also among the 10 most common.

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Serge Mouille (1922 – 1988) was a French industrial designer and goldsmith. He is best known for his light fixture designs.

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“Serge Mouille made each of his lamps by hand and never used machine technology to maximize production numbers.”

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“A Serge Mouille lamp is as much a work of art as it is a source of illumination.”

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“Serge Mouille designed his angular, insect-like lights as “a reaction to the Italian models that were beginning to invade the market in 1950,” which he criticized for being “too complicated.” His large-scale Three-Arm Floor Lamp (1952) has a kinetic, sculptural aesthetic that evokes a sense of movement in space. All of the arms can be rotated in various directions, allowing for ample, well-directed lighting for any task. Mouille designed the Three-Arm Lamp for a client whose instructions were simply, “I want a big light because I have clients in South America who have huge rooms.” All of his lighting solutions feature Mouille’s hallmark signatures as a designer: the way the arms are joined to the diffusers, the washer and six-sided screw hardware, the form of the reflectors, and the refined lines of the steel tubing. All of his products are made in France.”

Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi’s Home

“Pragmatic art or the creation of an artistic representation that also has a necessary function is at the heart of what Serge Mouille and the company that carries his name have achieved over time with some of the most iconic lamps available today.  Until you need to choose one for a particular space, a lamp is often an overlooked accessory in a room.  However, walk into a room with a poorly chosen lamp and it is noticed immediately.  Or, walk into a room with just the right lamp and it goes from an accessory to part of the furniture that creates the perfect ambiance and feeling in a space.”

“The lamps from Serge Moulle are certainly a furnishing and not a mere accessory.  Each lamp is simple at first glance, but as with most artistic renderings, a closer examination shows that there is a complexity that is easy to overlook.  A Serge Moulle lamp has versatility and grace whether examining metal lighting fixtures, wall sconces, or another design.  Some lamps can be adjusted to allow one part of even a small room to sit in the shadows, while that same lamp can be used, with a relatively minor and certainly simple adjustment can illuminate every nook and cranny.

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It should not be the purpose of the lighting in a room to be the focal point of attention.  A great lamp can be simplistic in design, yet that same design can have an artistic bent, and serve its own in different ways.  It is not the fault of Serge Mouille or his company that his lamps and lights are dramatic in their usefulness while being so sleek in the design that they cannot escape your guests’ attention.”

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“Serge Mouille offers modern design lighting, modern lighting, mid-century modern lamps, modern light fixtures and more.  There is a wide selection of lighting, lighting fixtures, and sconce lamps that fit every décor, every style, and every space.”

“Other than baguettes, berets, and Brigitte Bardot, few things are more classically French than bergères. Popularized in Louis XV–era salons, these cushy armchairs survived the revolution, adapting easily to the changing fashions of the Directoire and Empire periods. Today they remain as in vogue as ever. And for good reason—with their plush upholstery and regal frames, bergères blend comfort and style seamlessly.

For laymen, what sets them apart from other stately seats are their characteristic closed arms, loose seat cushions, and exposed-wood frames. “They really are masterpieces,” says Bruno de Caumont, an interior decorator and furniture designer. Having learned about bergères from the chief upholsterer at Versailles, Caumont is well versed in the different styles. A bergère en gondole has an arched back and sides upholstered as a single panel, while the bergère confessionale features a high back and low arms.

“Bergères were really designed for palaces,” notes interior architect Beata Galdi. Still, she finds their elegant form fits into even the most contemporary rooms, whether grouped in a formal seating area or standing alone in a bedroom. “Excellent design is timeless,” Galdi says.