It was just over a few weeks ago when a very respectable friend shared with me anecdotes of Mr IM Pei, whom he knew in person. Needless to say Mr Pei has been one of the most prolific and iconic architects of all time, there are so much information about him and his amazing works online. Nevertheless, it was a great experience hearing from someone who shared personal memories with him and it makes me appreciate the principles and context behind some of his works better.
There are 3 buildings designed by Pei in Singpapore: Raffles City, The Gateway and OCBC Centre, each is unique in its own ways. Most importantly, IM Pei's buildings each emit an idiosyncratic aura that strengthen (if not create) a strong character for the place around it, yet at the same time, they blend in perfectly with the context of its surroundings despite the fact the could be identified visually almost instantaneously. I think this is what makes his designs so powerful: creating buildings that are relevant in time and context to its surroundings. It feels great to have these buildings around the city I live in and hope their presence continue to inspire the future generations.