Passing through a grove of peach blossoms in
full bloom and through a cave,
you arrive upon the village of the Peach Blossom Spring.
What would you do if you were to create such a place? |
 |
When you step into the entrance
of the Miho Museum, you feel a sense of human warmth. The walls
and floor are made of a warm beige-colored limestone from France
called magny dore. Pei seems to have been very fond of this stone,
having used it also in the Reception Hall of the Louvre. More than
marble, it creates a soft atmosphere and a relaxed lightness about
it. The colors of the stone, the silver space frame, the textured
louvers, and the vegetation outside counterbalance each other. This
warm stone gives a sense of safety, a sense of being back in the
womb. It can even be compared to gourmet Bavarian creme. |
| Pei used this stone for the floors, walls, steps,
and the exterior. Since it is not very resistant to humidity, the
exterior walls were extensively treated to protect them from moisture.
Furthermore, Pei sought to give the color concrete the same hue
as the stone. |
The stones were steadily put in
place. The curves in the walls, made of large blocks carved to create
the corners, extravagantly show off the heavy thickness of the stone.
In order to avoid making odd cuts at steps and entrances, the masons
made extraordinary efforts, resulting in masterful stone placement.
A soft material was even used in the spaces between the stones so
that small movements such as from a minor earthquake, will not damage
them.
At the point when the architectural firm responsible
for the construction was satisfied with the work, Mr. Pei showed
up again for the final inspection and said, “Couldn’t
you replace these darker stones with a lighter ones?” Without
even waiting for a reply he brought the masons back to the building
to point out which stones should be replaced. The constructing architects
were wrought with worry. Even though they had completed such a beautiful
building, could they possibly make it better, could they make the
deadline, could they even find the stone? |
| Though it may not be appropriate
to say, luckily there was no stone. This magny dore limestone can
only be found 13 meters beneath vineyards of the grape used for
the very expensive Romanee Conti wine and can be dug up only when
the soil of the vineyard is being changed. Unhappily, Pei accepted
the stone as it was. If only light colored limestone had been used,
the sense would certainly be different, but the blend of light and
dark hues in the walls is not bad. In fact, at times, such as in
the moonlight, the walls appear subtle and profound. This appreciation
for mixing contrasts might reflect a Japanese taste. If I asked,
“Which do you like?” I am afraid that I might get a scolding
from Mr. Pei. |
| Profile of I.M.Pei |
 |
|
1917 Born in Canton, China
1940 Graduates from Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
1948-1955 Director at Webb and
Knapp, Inc.
1955 Establishes I.M. Pei & Partners
He has been active as an architect representing the 20th century.
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| Main Works |
|
1976 John Hancock Tower
1980 Boston Museum of Fine Arts,
West Wing
1993 Grand Louvre
1997 Miho Museum
2001 Bank of China
Main Branch, Beijing
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