Pei, I(eoh) M(ing) (1917– )

Chinese-born US modernist architect. He is noted for his innovative high-tech structures, particularly the use of glass walls. His projects include the 70-storey Bank of China, Hong Kong (1987; Asia's tallest building at 368 m/1,209 ft), the glass pyramid in front of the Louvre, Paris, France (1989), and the Miho Museum (1997), in a nature reserve near Kyoto, Japan.

Pei became a US citizen in 1954. His buildings in the USA include the Mile High Center (1955) in Denver, Colorado; the National Airlines terminal (1970, now owned by TWA) at John F Kennedy Airport, New York; Dallas City Hall, Texas (1977); East Building, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (1978); and John F Kennedy Library Complex and the John Hancock Tower (1979) in Boston, Massachusetts.