Building: The Centurion

The Centurion is the first ground up residential condominium in New York City to be designed by I.M. Pei and Pei Partnership Architects. I.M. Pei is internationally recognized as one of the greatest architects of all time. His Pritzker-prize winning genius has produced many of the world’s most imaginative, graceful, detailed and refined structures. With The Centurion, he again joined his talented son Sandi at Pei Partnership architects to create what is arguably the most important residential building to be constructed in Manhattan in nearly a century.

In keeping with the I.M. Pei tradition, The Centurion is a building which is about serenity, exclusivity, and attention to detail. For just one of countless examples, the limestone used on the buildings facade, ‘Chamesson limestone from Burgundy’, has been hand-cut in France – as only there, can one obtain limestone which has the specific hue which Pei wanted for the building. This gives the building a distinctive look different from most residential buildings in Manhattan, which use grayish Indiana limestone. Each hand-set stone is a warm beige color animated by gentle wisps of brown veining.

For the Centurion, every detail was painstakingly decided, and only those materials, textures, colors and qualities consistent with the architectural integrity that is distinctively Pei were selected.

The Centurion’s lobby is a serene refuge. The floor and one continuous wall of the attended lobby are soft cream-colored Magny Du Louvre French Limestone accented by finishes of Anigre wood, decorative marble and sophisticated, original works of art by Alex Katz. As residents enter the building, a distinctive water garden offers them a calming welcome as clear water cascades gently over projecting granite weirs into a a reflecting pool just beyond the lobby’s glass wall.

The building contains only 47 spacious one-of-a-kind residences, which range from one-to-four bedrooms and from 750 to 3,400 square feet. With 31 different layouts, virtually every apartment has its own distinct floorplan, 13 of which include terraces.

Just off of Fifth Avenue, The Centurion is steps away from Central Park and some of the city’s best shopping, dining establishements and cultural institutions. It is a sleek and understated masterpiece in the epicenter of the world’s most vibrant city. It is truly a hidden gem and it is a marvel, both inside and out.