Edited by Shirley Surya & Aric Chen

I. M. Pei (1917–2019) was one of the world's most influential architects. Born and raised in China, Pei trained and worked in the US, establishing a practice that spanned seven decades. His legacy includes some of the most high-profile projects of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, from the modernisation of the Louvre, Paris to the design of the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha. I. M. Pei: Life Is Architecture is organised thematically, exploring Pei's life and work through six topics that were central to his unique approach to architecture: transcultural identity, urban redevelopment, art and civic form, material and structural innovation, politics and patronage, and regenerating cultural and historical archetypes. Bringing together previously unpublished archival material, essays, photography, and personal contributions from those who knew and worked with Pei, this book presents both celebrated and lesser-known aspects of the architect's life and career while solidifying his position in architectural history and popular culture.