I.M. Pei

Henry C. Turner Prize

April 15, 2003  

Architect I.M. Pei at the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Courtesy Peter Rosen Productions

The National Building Museum and Turner Construction Company announced that I. M. Pei, FAIA, was the second recipient of the Henry C. Turner Prize for Innovation in Construction Technology. The prize recognizes notable advances and high achievement in construction methods and processes. As an architect during an impressive 55-year career, Pei has worked closely with engineers and contractors to create buildings and other structures that have set new standards for construction quality.

On Tuesday, April 15, 2003, the Museum hosted a reception, sponsored by Turner Construction Company, to honor Pei followed by the award ceremony an program. During the program, architect David Childs, FAIA, engineer Leslie E. Robertson, PE, and architectural author Carter Wiseman engaged Pei in a conversation about his role in stimulating innovations in construction technology—from the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art and the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, to the famous glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris and the Miho Museum in Japan.

The Henry C. Turner Prize is named after the founder of Turner Construction Company. The prize recognizes an invention, an innovative methodology, and/or exceptional leadership by an individual or team of individuals in construction technology. This broadly includes construction techniques, innovations and practices, construction and project management, and engineering design. The prize primarily recognizes achievements within the United States, but innovations or achievements by Americans in construction technology outside the United States are also eligible for consideration.

“America should be proud of the many innovations in construction technology that our engineers, architects, and contractors have developed over the years. It is for this reason that Turner Construction Company has funded an endowment at the National Building Museum for a prize celebrating these achievements. The Henry C. Turner Prize’s second recipient, I. M. Pei, is a pre-eminent architectural practitioner who has influenced the process of construction,” said Robert E. Fee, chief executive officer of Turner Construction Company.

According to Thomas C. Leppert, chairman and chief executive officer of The Turner Corporation, “Turner has been associated with the Museum and has been a strong supporter since 1993. Given our standing as the leading general builder in the country, with 45 national offices, we feel a very strong connection to the Museum and its mission of encouraging people to ‘Come explore the world we build for ourselves.’”

I. M. Pei’s elegant designs over the past five decades have inspired many in the construction industry to carry forward his innovations and his visions. Beyond the fact that he makes full use of available technologies, his approach to design is not swayed by popular trends. His attention to detail in design and in construction has motivated engineers and contractors alike to assist him in creating buildings and structures of exemplary quality, thus providing a uniquely positive influence on all within the construction industry. His design for the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong inspired engineers to create the first space truss frame for a tall building. Pei’s iconic glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris required contractors and engineers to develop an innovative structural system to support the panes of glass. And his design and specifications for the Miho Museum in Japan required precision construction and finishing.

The 2003 Henry C. Turner Prize Jury was composed of five members—Chris T. Hendrickson, chairman of the department of civil and environmental engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA; J. Robert Hillier, FAIA, founding partner of The Hillier Group, an architecture firm in headquartered Princeton, NJ; Clyde B. Tatum, professor and chair, department of civil and environmental engineering, and director of the construction institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA; Thomas R. Turner, vice president of national marketing, Turner Construction Company, New York, NY; and Norbert W. Young, Jr., FAIA, president, McGraw-Hill Construction, New York, NY and member of the National Building Museum’s Board of Trustees.

The Henry C. Turner Prize is supported by an endowment from Turner Construction Company