Be the best, not necessarily the original. I. M. Pei More Quotes by I. M. Pei More Quotes From I. M. Pei A city, far from being a cluster of buildings, is actually a sequence of spaces enclosed and defined by buildings. I. M. Pei far buildings city being Architecture must not do violence to space or its neighbors. I. M. Pei neighbors architecture violence space I liked the America of Bing Crosby, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton - it was all a dream, of course, but a very alluring dream for a young man from Canton. I. M. Pei young-man man dream america The first decent building I did with my own practice was a chapel in Taiwan. I. M. Pei own building my-own practice I arrived in the U.S.A. in 1935, to San Francisco. I got the boat from China, and I didn't even speak English. I could read a little, perhaps write a little, but that was all. It was a 17-day journey, and I learnt to speak English from the stewards. I. M. Pei english boat speak journey I think the artistic side of architecture was natural to me. My mother was an artist and a poet. I. M. Pei think me architecture mother I've never left China. My family's been there for 600 years. But my architecture is not consciously Chinese in any sense. I'm a western architect. I. M. Pei never left family architecture One thing I learn - I've been in practice now for half a century or more, and the most important ingredient for an architect to do a good building is to have a good client. I think a client counts for as much as fifty per cent. I. M. Pei good think building practice I'd been going to the Louvre since 1951. I thought I knew Paris and the French, but I didn't really. You know how easy it is to make friends when you are traveling. People are curious about you, you are curious about them. But you never really make friends that way. After the Louvre, I discovered that I have friends now because I have enemies. I. M. Pei you friends people way
