A special concert performed by an American couple in the New Suzhou Museum in December 2006.	Aerial view of the New Suzhou Museum.	World-renowned architect I.M. Pei - designer of the New Suzhou Museum.

THE 19,000-sq-m New Suzhou Museum stands to the west of the well-known Humble Administrator’s Garden (Zhuozheng Yuan). It was designed by the renowned architect Ieoh Ming Pei (better known as I.M. Pei) according to his principle that the building should be traditional, modern and harmonious with the local architecture. Thus the geometric, steel-framed structure borrows ideas from the classical gardens of Suzhou, and perfectly fits in with this scenic city in terms of its design, style and color.

Pei describes the building as his “lovely youngest daughter." “That’s because of my own close ties to the city,” the master explains. “My ancestors lived in Suzhou for 600 years, and I left when I was quite young. I am pained that none of my older Suzhou relatives is alive, and my relationship with the younger generation can never be the same as before.” The words choked in his throat. “So I decided to take on the project in part to pay my respects to my ancestors, and to give something back to the city where I spent my early years.”

Missing the Hometown

Two of Suzhou’s most distinguishable cultural characteristics are its Kunqu opera and its legendary gardens. It was among this exquisite culture that Pei spent the early years of his life. Pei comes from a family of medical practitioners in Suzhou who rose to local prominence in the 18th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, his family purchased the “Garden of the Lion Forest,” a stunning garden dating back to the 14th century that is now on the UN list of World Heritage. The garden is famed for its naturally shaped rock sculptures.

I.M. Pei spent his childhood in Hong Kong and moved with his parents to Shanghai at the age of ten. As the eldest grandson, his grandfather had high hopes for him and encouraged Pei to spend his vacations in Suzhou, so he could learn more about the family business. So Pei traveled the few scores of kilometers from Shanghai to Suzhou every summer vacation and stayed with his grandparents, who lived quite close to the Garden of the Lion Forest. Pei often visited the garden, and still has vivid memories of the joyful days he spent there with his cousins. In 1935, Pei moved to the United States, where he would study and practice his profession.

Many years later, Suzhou government officials flew to the United States to ask the world-renowned master to take on this project. And in 2002, the then 86-year-old master signed up to design the New Suzhou Museum. Pei says it was among the most challenging projects he even undertook, as he had to dream up a way to create harmony between a modern-style museum and the city’s ancient historical buildings.

In April 2002, Pei and two of his sons arrived in Suzhou. Ignoring his jetlag and lumbago, Pei carefully examined the city and the proposed location for the museum. He also held meetings with Zhang Kaiji and Wu Liangyong, two of China’s most prominent architectural experts. He covered so much ground during the four-day visit that he left the city in a wheelchair.

Upon his return to the US, Pei devoted himself to the study of Suzhou’s history and culture. He explains, “Though I once lived in Suzhou and have some knowledge of its history and artists, it was inadequate for my designing.” He also requested the museum curators to send him information about the relics to be housed in the new museum, to aid him in drawing the blueprints. The master ate, drank and slept his work. Whenever an idea would strike him, he’d sit down at the drawing board, no matter what the hour. Talking about his work ethic, Pei explains, “Architectural design is like fine needlework. You should pay meticulous attention to every detail.”

Chinese Spirit Without Tiles

When, after all those tedious hours, the master sent his plans to Suzhou, he was surprised to learn that there was much disagreement with his ideas. Fortunately, experts with the World Heritage Center gave their approval, and more than 90 percent of local citizens surveyed said they were satisfied with the plans. However, the old master remained open to suggestion. He readily adopted the idea that more windows should be included so that visitors could enjoy the beautiful scenery outside while looking around inside.

The New Suzhou Museum follows the traditional Chinese style residential housing -- but not one tile was used in its construction. Pei explains that he “used stone to help point the way toward a new style of architecture.” What’s more, traditional tile roofs do not meet the special museum requirements of constant temperature and humidity. “I’ve used gray and white stones -- the main colors seen in Suzhou. And stones last longer than tiles. In addition, I was stimulated by the graceful disorder of the traditional housing and tried to vary the height of my work.”

Pei says the most difficult part was designing a building that is “Chinese in spirit, yet ultimately modern." There is more to that than simply slapping a Chinese roof atop a modern building, like many of his peers do today. Pei believes that buildings should convey the local history, culture and spirit, while at the same time following modernism and looking to the future.

Quality in Every Detail

Looking out from the windows you can see the “hound-tooth roofs,” the most elaborate part of the museum. They blend perfectly with Suzhou’s traditional roof styles. The museum is located in a large garden with hills, streams, ponds, Chinese footbridges and bamboo groves. Pei had the final say on every piece of stone and bamboo, and even the color of the carps in the pond. He selected all of the materials with his own hands, and his fellow workers described the process as “embroidering with steel and cement.”

Rockeries and water are essential elements of Chinese gardening architecture. Believing that the ancient masonry work in the classic gardens of Suzhou is too superb for moderners to surpass, Pei tried something new. He had the stones sliced and charred with fire to give them a darker hue and a natural look before piling them up into various formations. The architect also fused a historical sight with the modern building by drawing water from the neighboring Humble Administrator’s Garden to the pond in the museum via the sliced rockery. He also rebuilt a Chinese thatching according to the architectural styles of the 10th century. Even every tree in the courtyard has its story. Pei is especially proud of one of the wisterias grafted from an ancient residence called Zhongwangfu. The original tree was planted by the noted artist Wen Zhengming himself in the 16th century. I.M. Pei chose it to express his respect for the ancient master and to add another historic aspect to the modern building.