The Luce Memorial chapel is located in Taichung City, Taiwan on the college campus of Taichung University. Surprisingly the architectural project only took one year to complete and only cost $125,000. From the front profile of the building one would not be able to tell, but the building is built upon a hexagonal foundation. The chapel can seat up to five hundred people.

The area is prone to typhoons or what we call hurricanes in the western hemisphere and earthquakes; thanks to the work of local craftsmen and I.M. Pei’s knowledge of the area the building was designed to withstand both of the devastating natural disasters and will likely stand for next hundred years as long as it serves its purpose to the university. The form of this building had to be thickened near the base to prevent the weight of the materials form buckling under the immense pressure bearing down on the load carrying ribs of the building.

This interior view gives an insight as to how large this structure is and how the two inverted walls seem to never completely touch, in fact they are supported by the steel and glass walls on both ends of this structure but it gives it the effect that they stand independent of each other which is awe inspiring and perplexing to the scientific mind. It is almost a polar opposite of I.M. Pei’s design of the Dallas City Hall because of its inverted stance and purpose compared to the overarching roof and governmental purpose of the Dallas City Hall building.

“Gallery of AD Classics: Luce Memorial Chapel / I.M. Pei – 1.” ArchDaily. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016. <http://www.archdaily.com/95708/ad-classics-luce-memorial-chapel-i-m-pei/5037f0a428ba0d599b000580-ad-classics-luce-memorial-chapel-i-m-pei-photo>.

Dallas City Hall located in the heart of the city of Dallas and was designed to “convey an image of the people” according to Erik Jonsson. It was built with the intent of revitalizing the Dallas downtown area after president Kennedy’s assassination, which had marred the city’s image. Jonsson knew of Pei through his work as an associate that had seen his work at MIT’s Earth Sciences Building.

Pei took a good hard look at the surrounding neighborhoods and skyscrapers that lined Dallas’ skyline and used this building as a statement to combat the tall surrounding buildings while also unifying the community at the ground level with the over hanging structure in order to exemplify the importance of the public sector in a city.

The end result lacked the finesse that I.M. Pei had aimed for and created more of an imposing and powerful effect. The public received the building with approval and acceptance. The final product took eleven years and is still a major landmark for the downtown Dallas area.

The John F Kennedy Library and Museum is unlike the first two designs I came across. The Louvre Museum and the Bank of China were both very modern looking, with sharp edges and straight lines throughout the design. Granted, those were made in the late 80’s and early 90’s while this building was completed in 1979. 

In the places where glass and steel are used, it does still use straight lines and even pyramid shapes near the edges. The building was made a tribute to the late President Kennedy of course, and I.M. Pei was chosen by Jacqueline Kennedy who saw potential for creativity in the architect. The structure of the glass that rose with the tower was hollow and supported by strong geometric shapes, representing reflection on void. 

“AD Classics: AD Classics: JFK Presidential Library / I.M. Pei.” ArchDaily. N.p., 06 Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2016. <http://www.archdaily.com/153285/ad-classics-jfk-presidential-library-i-m-pei>.

The Bank of China Tower has some similarities to the Louvre Pyramid that Pei also designed. Clearly it is not a pyramid, but the similarities are shown in the triangular steel structure on the exterior. He was asked to design a building that was particularly tall in a region prone to typhoons. At the time that it was built in 1990, it was the tallest building in Asia and remains as one of the tallest buildings in Hong Kong.  

It is made up up four vertical shafts designed to withstand high winds. The reflective glass is meant to imitate the skyline and stand out from the rest of the surrounding buildings. The design of the four shafts also calls for less interior support shafts. It is representative of bamboo shafts, a symbol of hope and revitalization for the Chinese people. 

“AD Classics: Bank of China Tower / I.M. Pei.” ArchDaily. N.p., 22 Aug. 2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2016. <http://www.archdaily.com/153297/ad-classics-bank-of-china-tower-i-m-pei>.

In 1981 the newly elected french president decided he would like to renovate cultural institutions throughout France. He hired Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei to renovate and reorganize the Louvre Museum Pyramid. He redesigned the courtyard to accommodate for the thousands of daily visitors traveling to the museum.  

Along with the new design of the pyramid itself, Pei also designed a series of underground galleries, storage, and preservation laboratories. The new design featured the steel glass pyramid surrounded by three smaller pyramids which provided light to the courtyard below. The design is definitely an eye catcher, especially when lit at night. The steel frame creates smaller “pyramids” within the the larger pyramid, giving it a really cool effect.

“AD Classics: Le Grande Louvre / I.M. Pei.” ArchDaily. N.p., 17 Nov. 2010. Web. 30 Nov. 2016. <http://www.archdaily.com/88705/ad-classics-le-grande-louvre-i-m-pei>.

Gaylord stadium is a place that I have shared some of the best times with my closest friends in my time here. I put both versions of the stadium in here as the renovation is brand new and I feel added so much to the atmosphere inside. Completing the bowl as they did brings the entire crowd together, where before the one section in the end zone was separate from the rest. When I would come to games as a kid that is the section we would sit in and the energy is very lacking over there. Now that the bowl is complete, the crowd seems more like one. This awesome structure is something our school prides itself on and thousands visit in this state. It displays the power that has become the reputation of our football team and lives up to the name “the Place on the Prarie.”

This is Cate Center at OU, home of the Economics Department. I am an econ major and have had many classes in this building and have come to the conclusion that this is one of the worst buildings ever. It is simply a block with no significant architectural features. The two classrooms it has on the inside are at the far right when you are facing the front and both have a giant structural support beam running through the middle of them. This makes things difficult when you fill a classroom and put the professor in the middle of the room. This is a poorly designed building if there was ever an intent for classes to be taught within its doors and would almost seem out of place on our beautiful campus if it weren’t for the red brick.

This is the country club where I learned to play golf. I chose it because I worked here for two and a half years and would come here every day after school to practice. I was only ever inside the club to eat and spent most of my time in the pro shop. The building was an old plantation home before it was converted, as one could probably guess. It is very spread out,has great symmetry, and sturdy columns in the front. The look of an old home makes it feel inviting, along with the pond out front and the well kept landscape. The pro shop is small and compact, yet just as inviting as the rest of the building.

This was the house that I spent most of my childhood in, from about age 6 to when I graduated high school. It’s not much to look at from an architectural standpoint, with boring grayish looking bricks that don’t give it a very inviting feel. The backyard is large and wide open, with large windows that look out over the pool from both floors. Aside from aesthetics, this simple house is what I called home and I will never forget the memories I share with family and friends here.

The Cottages of Norman is where I lived my junior year. Since I first saw the Cottages freshman year I wanted to live here because it has the feel of a village, or tight knit community. After living there I can say that that is the kind of culture it creates.

Every Individual Cottage has a front porch that people enjoy sitting out on at night. It invites you to sit outside of your place more often and leads to meeting more neighbors. The inside is about what you would expect from your average apartment nowadays but it’s the exterior and layout of this place that I like the most.