Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month | Asian American Architects & Their Influence
As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, join us as we pay homage to the architects who have helped shape modern and classic architecture. Read on to discover the rich history behind some of the most recognized Asian American architects and the legacy that they leave behind for all of us to appreciate and experience today.
I. M. Pei
Arguably the last great modernist, Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei's career spanned over six decades. Known for his bold, geometric designs, some of his projects include the Museum of Islamic Art, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and his most famous glass pyramid at the entrance to the Louvre in Paris.
Gin Wong
Gin D. Wong was one of a unique group of Chinese-American architects who helped define the post-war architecture of Los Angeles. Against significant odds, including racial covenants in mid-century Los Angeles, Wong persevered to forge a distinguished career. Wong was instrumental in creating some of Los Angeles' greatest modern structures, including design direction on the Los Angeles International Airport, CBS Television City, and the Union Oil Center.
Maya Lin
Born in 1959 in Athens, Ohio, Maya Lin entered into public view when as a senior at Yale University she submitted the winning design in a national competition for a Vietnam Veterans Memorial to be built in Washington, DC. She was trained as an artist and architect, and her sculptures, parks, monuments, and architectural projects are linked by her ideal of making a place for individuals within the landscape. Lin has designed numerous projects, including the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama and the Wave Field outdoor installation at the University of Michigan.
Meejin Yoon
J. Meejin Yoon is the Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. Previously, she was a professor and the head of MIT's Department of Architecture. She is also the co-founding principal of Höweler + Yoon Architecture, in Boston. Yoon's professional projects and creative work include the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at the University of Virginia, Sky Courts Exhibition Hall in Chengdu China, and the Collier Memorial and MIT Museum at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Kaneji Domoto
Kaneji (Kan) Domoto was a landscape architect and architect born in Oakland in 1912. He attended UC Berkeley for landscape architecture and studied with Frank Lloyd Wright. His career in architecture and landscape design spanned over 50 years and included both residential, commercial, recreational, and educational projects in the Bay Area and East Coast - including several homes at Frank Lloyd Wright's planned community, Usonia. He received many awards for his gardens including the Frederick Law Olmsted Award for his Jackson Park design in Chicago.
This article was originally published in 2022 and has been updated for 2023.