“金字塔風波”使他譽滿全球

孫國維

1981年5月10日傍晚，弗朗素瓦·密特朗在大選中贏得了總統寶座，整個巴黎立即歡騰。密特朗在先賢祠的臺階上信誓旦旦要兌現競選時的承諾，掀起現代法國轟轟烈烈的建筑高潮。在接下來的10年中，他要對巴黎進行大刀闊斧的改造，從中世紀的迷宮中切割出一條寬闊的大街，然后對陳舊不堪的盧浮宮作全新的修復。為此他要物色一位堪當重任的設計師。他經過深思熟慮，決定聘任在建筑界名揚四海的貝聿銘作為首席。一來，這位美籍華人來自中國，華夏文明舉世矚目；二來，貝聿銘兩年前在為美國華盛頓特區的國家藝術館設計建造的東樓引起世界轟動。同時，他提出的有關辦公樓建筑群的方案也打動了密特朗。這個方案將使位于盧浮宮——凱旋門中軸線西端的德方斯街邊緣地區的像曼哈頓一般的高層建筑趨于規范化。

一開始，貝聿銘拿到改造盧浮宮項目幾乎十拿九穩。然而，后來拿到這個項目的卻是一位在政府部門找到關系的法國建筑師。

真是好事多磨。在貝聿銘的建筑藝術生涯中尚未遇到這種使他感覺丟人的事，尤其是盧浮宮的改造工程確實是一項最讓人覬覦的傳世工程，貝聿銘正需要這樣的公共舞臺來彰顯他的實力并確保他在建筑界的名譽和地位。他那雷打不動的自信和從不服輸的精神，讓他通過旅居巴黎的大畫家趙無極引見密特朗總統。現任盧浮宮修復工程的掌門人、前文化部長比歐西尼在拉費爾飯店安排了貝聿銘同密特朗的會見。在這次會見之前貝聿銘做足了功課，他先后4次來到巴黎，在盧浮宮內外反復迂回探察，精心研究了法國最偉大的園林建筑師安德萊·勒諾特爾的作品，一張以金字塔作為入口的盧浮宮改造圖躍然紙上。

會見中，貝聿銘向密特朗總統提出的盧浮宮修復工程的方案是：建造一座在理論上每小時容納15000人，高度為70英尺的玻璃金字塔。以吉薩的古埃及金字塔為基礎，周圍配上三個“小金字塔”和三個有噴泉的清澈可鑒的三角形水池。它的好處是這種“通體透明的結構符號”可以作為避免丑化盧浮宮的一種富有創造性的方式。因為很難想象其他一種固體擴建部分能夠和已經被歲月的長河磨損得黯淡無光的舊皇宮渾然一體。而建立在高科技材料基礎上的古代建筑形式與老式建筑可以相得益彰。它可以和協和廣場上的凱旋門、方尖碑以及香榭麗舍大街上的旅游景點一起顯露風采并與原來就有的金字塔廣場遙相呼應。這樣，修整一新的盧浮宮將成為世界上最大最美的博物館。密特朗對貝聿銘的方案滿口贊同，并當場聘任他為這座法國古典文物的設計改造者。

誰知，這個聘任消息剛出愛麗舍宮就在法國各地引起軒然大波。尤其是建筑界和文藝界的一些人，他們把貝聿銘稱之為不請自來的“第三者、插足者”。他們認為，盧浮宮是法國乃至整個歐洲的文化殿堂，聘用一個紐約人來整修國寶級文物豈不等于開門揖盜，拱手讓具有“文化帝國主義”行徑的美國染指法國文明。認為這件事本身就太具諷刺意味。密特朗和貝聿銘的結合似乎是“一種危險的聯合”。一場圍繞金字塔風波的大辯論席卷整個巴黎。其領軍人物大都是些歷史學家和政客。于是，“巴黎不要金字塔”和“不許干涉盧浮宮”的口號甚囂塵上。

1984年年初，貝聿銘將改造修復盧浮宮的設計圖案正式遞交給“法國歷史文物最高委員會”時，醒目的金字塔圖像立即引起了這幫老爺們的憤怒和驚愕。委員會的前任主任建筑師貝特昂大聲譴責說：“它超越了我們的思維空間”。

簡直是個“龐大的毀滅性裝置”。許多關心盧浮宮命運的巴黎市民也紛紛參加了這場反對金字塔的大合唱。客觀上使修復盧浮宮的工程成為了一個眾所矚目的全民愛護文物運動。當人們得知，貝聿銘將要用一座不倫不類的金字塔來玷污神圣的拿破侖庭院和盧浮宮時，感覺簡直是蒙受了奇恥大辱。狂怒的人群對于貝聿銘已經到了忍無可忍的地步，以致使他的翻譯難以平靜地為他做口譯。有時，在街上還有人會對他信口吐槽。

所幸的是，64歲的貝聿銘畢竟是個閱盡人間春色的老練建筑藝術家，他的作品遍布全球，在業界具有不可動搖的地位。對于那些褒獎和非議他早已聞之若素。更何況他有密特朗總統信誓旦旦的承諾。那個“歷史文物最高委員會”對于政府沒有約束力。預定的修復計劃如期進行，財政部的辦公人員不得不遵照命令撤出由他們占據的廂房以便擴大展品陳列室。隨著工程的順利進展，盧浮宮已大大改觀。游客的參觀通道和陳列室以及便民設施都有徹底的改進。不論是入場口、參觀通道還是自助餐廳和衛生間以及陳列室都可以極大地滿足每年750多萬的游客。17000件文物珍品中的一部分可以從暗無天日的地下室進入新的陳列室。參觀者再也不必在狹隘的門口猶豫徘徊，他們可以由明亮寬敞的金字塔通道直奔主題前往瞻仰三大鎮館之寶——米洛維納斯、勝利女神和蒙娜麗莎。

1988年3月4日，密特朗總統在宏偉工程竣工的金字塔內舉行典禮，并授予貝聿銘榮譽勛章。因為金字塔已然成了密特朗東山再起的象征。那天大約有2000多顯赫人物抱著先睹為快的心情，排隊等候進入金字塔，以便零距離接觸這座震驚世界的建筑壯舉。在600盞燈光的聚焦下，樂隊高奏《歡樂頌》，7座噴泉噴射出五光十色的水柱，把金字塔照得晶瑩剔透。這一陣，人們對金字塔的狂熱崇拜居然令作為法國標志的埃菲爾鐵塔黯然失色。這一場景使一度備受冷落和打擊的貝聿銘大有被“平反昭雪”的感慨。他對記者說：“我一直在等待著這一刻的來臨！”

這位聞名全球的現代主義建筑大師貝聿銘，1917年出生，祖籍是中國蘇州的一個名門望族，父親是中國銀行的創始人貝祖怡。他17歲留學美國，先后在麻省理工學院和哈佛大學攻讀建筑學。畢業后先是跟隨美國知名的都市改造營建商齊肯多夫工作，1955年他自立門戶創辦貝聿銘建筑事務所，在全球先后承包50多個項目。其著名作品包括美國華盛頓國家美術館東館、肯尼迪總統圖書館、加拿大皇家商業銀行、新加坡華僑銀行中心和雙塔樓以及來福中心、希臘雅典現代藝術博物館、日本美秀博物館、盧森堡現代美術館、中國香港的中國銀行大廈、北京的中國銀行總行大廈和香山飯店。2002年他回到故鄉蘇州設計了具有江南水鄉韻味的蘇州博物館，作為炎黃子孫對家鄉的回報。

貝聿銘的童年在蘇州獅子林度過，那里的園林建筑在他的記憶中形成不可磨滅的印象，10歲那年去了上海。沿著外灘黃浦江邊的那些高樓大廈引起他的關注。他想，在自己的國土上為何都讓外國人來造房子？我們自己為何不能？在他幼小的心靈中埋下了火種，立志要在建筑事業上作出一番貢獻。長大后，他一貫以嚴謹的態度和大膽的風格進行設計，特別善于運用幾何圖形，把古代傳統建筑藝術與現代最新技術巧妙地糅合在一起，從而創造出自己的獨特風格。他常說：“一所建筑物的形狀應該使人得到感情上的滿足”。

貝聿銘認為時間、地點和文化是建筑設計的要素。而以人為本是他必須堅持的原則，這也是中西方文化的差異所在。他認為在建筑設計中人的比例一定要放在頭等重要的位置，設計之前必須深入了解當地的氣候、自然和風土人情，這樣才能“身臨其境”。早年，他在設計建造落基山國際大氣研究中心時，曾帶上露營帳篷到接近沙漠的野地住了幾天，體驗當地的自然條件。這座建筑具備印第安人的特色，不僅高低參差，疏密有致，還把當地山石摻進了混凝土，使其融入山脈的色調和背景。1978年，貝聿銘在美國一口氣設計建造了大批一流建筑工程，從而獲得美國建筑學院的年度獎，這一年被稱為“貝聿銘年”。貝聿銘今年已經跨入101歲的高齡，這位美籍華裔建筑大師生有三兒一女，夫人是他大學的同學，芳名愛玲，十分溫柔賢惠。她多次陪同夫君回國回鄉探親訪友。

鑒于貝聿銘對世界建筑業的貢獻，1983年，他被授予建筑界最高獎項：普利茨克獎，作為對他終身成就的表彰。評獎委員會的頒獎詞說：“他的多才多藝以及對材料的絕妙運用，賦予他的建筑設計某種詩意。”

The Louvre Pyramid， surrounded by three smaller pyramids， in the main courtyard of the Louvre Palace in Paris， has long since become a landmark of the city of Paris. It is also a landmark in the career of Chinese American architect I.M. Pei. His appointment in 1984 as a designer for this unprecedented grand project and his bold design caused a heated controversy in France. Eventually， the pyramid conquered the city and the world and solidified Peis fame.

The grand ambition started with Fran?ois Mitterrand， who became French President in 1981. He promised to start a modern construction campaign in France. Included in the ambitious plan was a project to refurbish the Louvre.

A French architect was originally commissioned to design for the retrofit project. Pei didnt want to give up. He needed this landmark project to consolidate his reputation as a top-class architect. To come up with a plan， he visited Paris four times and studied the Louvre thoroughly. Eventually， he envisioned the pyramid design.

In 1984， I.M. Pei met with French President Fran?ois Mitterrand and explained his design. This pyramid would serve as the entrance to the Louvre and theoretically 15，000 visitors could pass through per hour. The glass-metal transparent structure would stand in perfect harmony with the time-old palace. The French president was convinced that I.M. Peis design was what he wanted. Pei was appointed to head the project.

The appointment and the pyramid design touched off a lively French aesthetical and political debate for five years. In early 1984， Pei submitted his blueprints. A committee in charge of historical legacies of France dismissed the pyramid as a giant destructive installation. Many thought it was ironic and politically incorrect to have this New Yorker to refurbish the Louvre. Politicians， historians， and architects were the major objection force in this debate. Then the general public took part. Pei experienced a lot of trouble from this objection movement.

Fortunately， the committee was not in a position to dismiss Pei. The project went ahead and Peis design was gradually translated into reality.

In March 1989， a simple but elegant ceremony was held inside the pyramid to launch the refurbished Louvre to the general public. Over 2，000 celebrities attended the event. Illuminated by six hundred lights and accompanied by an orchestra and seven colorful fountains， the spectacular structure overwhelmed them totally， putting the end to the dispute. The whole nation fell in love with the pyramid. The architect felt totally vindicated. He said in an interview that he had been waiting for this victorious moment for a long while.

The pyramid is a part of a new grand entrance to the Louvre， designed to accommodate the growing number of visitors and to reorganize the museums interior. Over 7.5 million visitors a year go through the entrance to visit various collections of the museum.

Nowadays， the pyramid is loved by visitors and Parisians alike. It fits perfectly with the palace and has even become a tourist attraction in its own right. The work also involved renovation of the facades and gave the Louvre a real facelift. It is not unusual to see passers-by taking photos in front of the pyramid. More than just an entrance in the palace courtyard， the great pyramid has become a symbol of the Louvre.

Born in 1917 in Guangzhou and raised in Hong Kong and Shanghai， Pei drew inspiration at an early age from the ancient gardens in Suzhou. In 1935， he moved to the United States and enrolled in the University of Pennsylvanias architecture school， but quickly transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After graduating， he joined the Harvard Graduate School of Design. After working for New York City real estate magnate William Zeckendorf for seven years， he established his own independent design firm I. M. Pei & Associates in 1955. He retired from full-time practice in 1990. Since then， he has taken on work as an architectural consultant primarily from his sons architectural firm Pei Partnership Architects.

Peis first major recognition came with the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado （designed in 1961， and completed in 1967）. His new stature led to his selection as chief architect for the John F. Kennedy Library in Massachusetts. He went on to design Dallas City Hall and the East Building of the National Gallery of Art. He returned to China for the first time in 1975 to design a hotel at Fragrant Hills， and designed Bank of China Tower， Hong Kong， a skyscraper in Hong Kong for the Bank of China fifteen years later. In addition to the pyramid of the Louvre， he also designed the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas， the Miho Museum in Japan， the Suzhou Museum in Suzhou， and the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar.

I.M.Pei has won a wide variety of prizes and awards in the field of architecture， including the AIA Gold Medal in 1979， the first Praemium Imperiale for Architecture in 1989， and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cooper-Hewitt， National Design Museum in 2003. In 1983， he won the Pritzker Prize， sometimes called the Nobel Prize of architecture.