I. M. Pei’s museum architecture: a reading of identity and language

This thesis comprises four case studies of the Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei’s museum projects to consider the representation of identity in architecture, and the role of the museum as an architectural type. The reading of Pei’s projects also encompasses debates on architectural styles, the relationship between modernity and history, as well as the political and cultural role of the museum in the city.
The thesis has three parts. Part One looks into the representation of national identity, while also considering the manifestation of Pei’s cultural identity in their given context. The two chapters in this part delve in Pei’s earliest museum design, the Museum for Chinese Art, and a contemporary project of the extension to the German Historical Museum in Berlin, to evaluate the connection of Pei’s projects with their historical contexts, and consider the extent to which Pei’s museum projects respond to the notion of national identity and nationalism respectively.
Part Two makes enquiries in the often-related relationship of architecture and language. The significance of architectural language is seen from its role in developing the meaning of the museum building as architecture. By taking the Grand Louvre as a case study, Chapter 3 and 4 discuss how the museum operates as a building type, which incorporates languages by architectural criticism and also the language of architectural drawings.
Part Three is a conclusion section in my thesis and it provides an overview of Pei’s Museum of Islamic Art. While the project provides an especially helpful focus on the problems discussed in the thesis, it also provokes thinking on Pei’s role in developing the museum to its current form as an international cultural phenomenon.