text="Architect Ieoh Ming Pei was announced as one of two of the 2003 National Design Awards for Lifetime Achievement. His long and distinguished career as one of our century’s most important architects began when he moved to the United States from his native China to study architecture at the age of 17. Since then he has completed a vast range of iconic designs for many powerful international clients, including philanthropic families, universities, hotels, banks and major cultural institutions. At 86, Mr. Pei still travels the world to oversee each project, currently in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. He incorporates the latest technologies into his clean, timeless geometric forms. Despite his international acclaim, Mr. Pei remains a true artist, not bound by narrow stylistic constraints, but inspired by the unique physical and cultural context of each individual building. He has never become lost in the “celebrity of architecture” and is widely admired for his knowledge of contemporary art, his civic spirit, and his generosity to fellow architects – whether they are peers or young students. Among Mr. Pei’s best known works include the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; John F. Kennedy Library, Boston; Myerson Symphony Center, Dallas; Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland; the Grand Louvre, Paris; Miho Museum, Kyoto; Bank of China, Hong Kong and Four Seasons hotels around the world.";