Centurion by I. M. Pei (33 West 56th Street)

[Merry]

July 1, 2007
Postings
Pei Designs a Condo in Midtown
By C. J. HUGHES

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/07/01/realestate/01post.1901.jpg
A Stone Cascade Rendering of a new condo going up at 33 West 56th Street, designed by I. M. Pei, whose credits include the glass pyramid at the Louvre.

THE architect Richard Meier has designed a few. So has Jean Nouvel. Even Philip Johnson managed to add one to the New York skyline, albeit posthumously.

Now I. M. Pei gets to design one too — a luxury Manhattan condominium building.

Mr. Pei, whose architectural credits include the glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Javits Convention Center and Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan, is the architect for the Centurion, at 33 West 56th Street.

Mr. Pei has designed the building, a 17-story high-rise, to taper upward from a squared base through a series of gradual curves to a narrow top. He said that the setbacks were required — under the neighborhood’s zoning, only the lowest 85 feet of the outside wall can be flush with the property line on the front of the building — but he decided that the structure did not have to resemble a sharply tiered wedding cake.

“The face will have more distinction with a cascade of stone, rather than steps,” he said. “You don’t have to be big to be beautiful.”

The Centurion’s 48 condo apartments will range in size from one to four bedrooms and 750 to 3,400 square feet. There will be three penthouses. Prices are expected to go from $1.9 million to $10 million, said Robbie Antonio, managing director of Antonio Development, the co-developer with Stillman Development International. Both are based in Manhattan.

Construction began in March and occupancy is expected in December 2008. Sales have begun at Stillman’s offices, at 505 Park Avenue, at 59th Street; a formal sales office has not yet opened.

The setback rule allows 13 of the units to have terraces. The interiors, designed by SLCE Architects of Manhattan, feature 31 layouts, with teak floors and glass countertops. Five units will have 17-foot ceilings.

The building’s exterior will be clad in Burgundy limestone, which has a yellower hue than the grayish Indiana limestone found in many New York buildings. The design calls for a wide lobby with a rear wall that overlooks a private courtyard and a waterfall. There are to be no street-level stores.

The Centurion is Mr. Pei’s first residential project in Manhattan in many decades. One of his last was the 1966 Silver Towers complex (also known as University Plaza) of New York University, at Bleecker Street and La Guardia Place.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/realestate/01post.html?ref=realestate

[ramvid01]

Wow. I love the design of the slopes. It looks so elegant and its being clad with limestone. This is almost a sure hit.

[sfenn1117]

It is a very nice building and it makes the loss of the 4 beautiful townhouses on the site less painful. This is midtown Manhattan and zoning should really allow a bigger building though.

[antinimby]

Wait just a minute...

What is going on that ground floor there? Is that a couple of horrible garage entrances that I see?

Give me back those townhouses!!

[ramvid01]

Wait just a minute...

What is going on that ground floor there? Is that a couple of horrible garage entrances that I see?

Give me back those townhouses!!

Hmm, I think you have caught on to something. I did not catch it at first glance but it does seem you are correct, although its one garage entry and another lobby entry. What a shame that they have to ruin it with such a boring base.

[Stern]

Sure its designed by IM Pei but the design is down-right awful. The treatments look excellent but the massing is just wrong, the "X" made by the extended windows kills the verticality and confuses the split tower design, nothing is tied together, just a collection of look at me design ploys. The top especially leaves a whole lot to be desired. Basically it looks like something I'd expect to see in Flushing, complete with the garage entrances dominating base.

[Fabrizio]

From genteel townhouses to a garage entrance... crap. No thought to the public, just to the handful multi-millionares who will be living there (living there a few months out of the year...).

Otherwise?

It's on the wrong block... but IMHO this is a very fine looking building.

[stache]

It's difficult to get excited over these small buildings.

[MidtownGuy]

Nice upper portion, but the base.....
:mad::mad::mad:
nullifies all of my enthusiasm. Two gaping maws at the bottom? For Christ's sake!!

[Derek2k3]

Not sure what I think of it. I kind of agree with Stern that it looks Flushing-esque.

[londonlawyer]

It's a beautiful tower, but it's still absolute BS that the townhouses were razed.

[ablarc]

the massing is just wrong, the "X" made by the extended windows kills the verticality and confuses the split tower design, nothing is tied together, just a collection of look at me design ploys.
Oh, I dunno. From the adjacent sidewalk, those "extended windows" will resolve themselves quite nicely into miniature towers of Gotham. Could be worse.

I don't like the garage entrance either, but where else can you put it?

[antinimby]

How about not having a parking garage to begin with? ;)

[lofter1]

Exactly ^^^ parking garages are so 20th Century :cool:

[ablarc]

How about not having a parking garage to begin with? ;)
Well ... OK.

[LeCom]

Not bad at all, even though it looks too provincial for that part of town. It's something I'd expect to see in southern Brooklyn or somewhere out in Queens rather than in Midtown Manhattan.

[pianoman11686]

I knew I recognized that massing from somewhere:

http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8778&highlight=750+seventh+avenue

[Eugenius]

Good catch pianoman, I had the exact same feeling of deja vu.

[hey19932]

how is this progressing? Is it above ground yet?

[hey19932]

Is this up to at least the first floor yet?

[infoshare]

There is a rendering posted at this (http://www.peipartnership.com/pdf/EDGE_Centurion.pdf) website.

Pei Designs a Condo in Midtown
By C. J. HUGHES

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/realestate/01post.html?ex=1188964800&en=c30db1bcb16341b9&ei=5070

Published: July 1, 2007
THE architect Richard Meier has designed a few. So has Jean Nouvel. Even Philip Johnson managed to add one to the New York skyline, albeit posthumously.

A Stone Cascade Rendering of a new condo going up at 33 West 56th Street, designed by I. M. Pei, whose credits include the glass pyramid at the Louvre.
Now I. M. Pei gets to design one too — a luxury Manhattan condominium building.

Mr. Pei, whose architectural credits include the glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Javits Convention Center and Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan, is the architect for the Centurion, at 33 West 56th Street.

Mr. Pei has designed the building, a 17-story high-rise, to taper upward from a squared base through a series of gradual curves to a narrow top. He said that the setbacks were required — under the neighborhood’s zoning, only the lowest 85 feet of the outside wall can be flush with the property line on the front of the building — but he decided that the structure did not have to resemble a sharply tiered wedding cake.

“The face will have more distinction with a cascade of stone, rather than steps,” he said. “You don’t have to be big to be beautiful.”

The Centurion’s 48 condo apartments will range in size from one to four bedrooms and 750 to 3,400 square feet. There will be three penthouses. Prices are expected to go from $1.9 million to $10 million, said Robbie Antonio, managing director of Antonio Development, the co-developer with Stillman Development International. Both are based in Manhattan.

Construction began in March and occupancy is expected in December 2008. Sales have begun at Stillman’s offices, at 505 Park Avenue, at 59th Street; a formal sales office has not yet opened.

The setback rule allows 13 of the units to have terraces. The interiors, designed by SLCE Architects of Manhattan, feature 31 layouts, with teak floors and glass countertops. Five units will have 17-foot ceilings.

The building’s exterior will be clad in Burgundy limestone, which has a yellower hue than the grayish Indiana limestone found in many New York buildings. The design calls for a wide lobby with a rear wall that overlooks a private courtyard and a waterfall. There are to be no street-level stores.

The Centurion is Mr. Pei’s first residential project in Manhattan in many decades. One of his last was the 1966 Silver Towers complex (also known as University Plaza) of New York University, at Bleecker Street and La Guardia Place.

[Skylimitone]

Update from 11-17-2007

https://community.emporis.com/images/6/2007/11/572584.jpg

https://community.emporis.com/images/6/2007/11/572586.jpg

[MidtownGuy]

Shame. The townhouses were prettier and had interest at street level, plus retail instead of garage doors on the sidewalk. I hate this project.
Pei, go suck an egg.

[investordude]

And unlike McSam (who I defend to the world's outrage) I don't even see the point - its not clear to me there are really significantly more homes in this building than in the townhouses that it replaced.

[alonzo-ny]

What happened to Pei? He lost it.

[Fabrizio]

I say this is going to be a nice chic little building.

No retail is perfectly acceptable on a block like this but a garage opening is a shame and should be out-lawed.

Of course the town houses should NEVER have been touched, but if they had to be replaced by something, limestone and Pei are not so bad.

How many apartments this building contains means very little. The owners of many of these ultra-luxe buildings only stay in them a few weeks a year anyway. These are not designed to alleviate a housing shortage. LOL.

The problem here is the people of NYC.

How would Parisians, Londoners or Romans react to elegant historic buildings in the center of their city being town down? (or for that matter, the building of a McSam?)


---

[MidtownGuy]

No retail is perfectly acceptable on a block like this

But there has always been retail along both sides, so what's with the "like this"?
The street is well traveled by people going east and west who don't want to deal with big, wide, noisy 57th so lots of small restaurants and services line the street.
It's not just a typical cross street of residences but a vibrant strip with Indian restaurants, Italian places, fast food, everything under the sun, many of the buildings have businesses on 2 Floors not just one. This building breaks it up with a long boring stretch so I maintain that this a non-plus for the neighborhood. The aesthetic value of the limestown fails to compensate for the intricately detailed surfaces of the lost townhouses and the new gaping garage/lobby doors in their place.
Nonetheless, I'm hoping for the best in the finishing details (maybe the "burgundy limestone" will sway me), and lots of illumination to make up for the lack of any street-brightening retail.

[antinimby]

So depressing this thread.

[Fabrizio]

Midtown: you are right that this block contains retail as did all of these blocks off of 5th. Unfortunately the retail is slowly vanishing.

W53rd off of 5th is a good example. It was once basically the MOMA and town houses with small business like art supply stores and restaurants. The townhouses and retail are mostly gone, but at least the new buildings built there have been rather good (including the MOMA expansions) so despite the changes, it still manages to be a very pleasant block.

IMO this kind of building is a nice side-street sort of residential building that fits in well. My hope is, even without those houses and the retail, that this block also remains "pleasant". The loss of the small business is unfortunate but IMO it looks like the garage entrance is going to be the real problem.

But this is the way of the world now... or at least in NYC. People who want to live in a city but with out the inconviences of the city. So they want on-site parking.

Something about this developement reminds me of the Rockeller Apartments one block over on W54th Street. Built in the 1930's, it also replaced beautiful town houses (at a time when they were, of couse, much less rare).

It too is smallish... no retail here either... but it is soooo urbane.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/ronaldo/aaa1.jpg


Note the ground floor and how nicely it fits into the block. (Unfortunately time and alterations have not been kind):
http://www.nyc-architecture.com/MID/MID044.htm

More about the building and it's tenants. A NYTimes must-read :
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/15/garden/15rockefeller.html?_r=1&ref=garden&oref=slogin

(Barbara Walters also lived there for a time)

----

And about the building's tiered stacking: it is seen all over the garment district :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/ronaldo/123.jpg


---

[MidtownGuy]

Yes I do like that aspect. Cheers for the tiers, a product of the zoning, otherwise would we have gotten a minimalist vertical wall.

[Stern]

What happened to Pei? He lost it.

Well, he is 300 years old.

[alonzo-ny]

Where's my slippers....

[TREPYE]

What happened to Pei? He lost it.

Yeah man, hes come down a long way from this.....

http://archrecord.construction.com/innovation/2_Features/images/0411history3.jpg
Images courtesy http://archrecord.construction.com/innovation/2_Features/0411history.asp

[kz1000ps]

^ quite interesting how contemporary of a design that tower is. If someone told me it was a proposal for Dubai or Chicago, I'd totally believe it. (For NYC though, no way).

[scumonkey]

Fabrizio made todays curbed on the subject of this building!
http://curbed.com/archives/2007/11/21/peis_centurion_a_cascade_of_concrete.php#more

[infoshare]

Fabrizio made todays curbed.......

Great to see that, thanks for the news link: I am also "a big fan" of this new I.M. Pei building.

[kz1000ps]

Hmm, while I love the wedding cake massing, I find the window openings to be way too big. Stone, be it of the lime variety or otherwise, becomes overwhelmed (and its effect exponentially diminished) when you've got that much glass. Look to 15 CPW or Boston's Mandarin Oriental as examples of this.

[nycondoblog]

Hey Guys,

I had a chance to sit down with Michele Conte, director of sales for Centurion. While I gasped at the average sales price so far ($2,604/foot for the first seven units) she proceeded to explain this unique project to me.

Apparently the Antonio family, which is developing the project with Stillman, is good friends with Pei. Both families are trying to transition the business to their kids. Pei had strict interviews with everyone involved in development about the building materials and contruction style. He is an absolute perfectionist about every detail. For example, he didn't like the 'ashy' tones of the limestone on 15 Central Park West. So this building will actually have the most expensive limestone of any building in the city--Chamesson limestone quarried from the Burgundy region of France. You gotta see this stuff to appreciate it.

Unlike those garment district buildings, the glass is highly reflective and the angling is carefully structured to maximize the light hitting 56th street. The setbacks are curbed, not straight like other similar buildings. Pei wanted a tended garage for residents and would never tolerate retail space in an ultra-chic condo building. As for the townhouses... get ready, 56th street will lose more of them in the next few years.

The prices are sky high, but the sales gal was great and they adore Pei. Seems to me they are attracting international buyers getting a 'sale' with their Euros and Yen.

-JH

[MidtownGuy]

As for the townhouses... get ready, 56th street will lose more of them in the next few years.

By your tone, that seems to make you gleeful...do you have a goofy problem with townhouses or something? Not enough commissions in them for ya?
The above post sounds like a transparent attempt at sales, judging that it is the person's first post, it's pretty obvious what's behind it.

Glad to hear about the limetone. Woopee do.

[lofter1]

What is going on with the long-vacant lots on this block to the west at 59 -61 West 56th (http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByLocationServlet?requestid=3&allbin=1035038&allstrt=WEST+56+STREET&allnumbhous=59) :confused:

This was the site of the first NYC Benihana of Tokyo (http://www.answers.com/topic/1964?cat=technology#food_and_drink) restaurant in the 1964:


Benihana (http://www.answers.com/topic/benihana-inc) of Tokyo opens in New York at 61 West 56th Street. The teppinyaki-hibachi-style steak-shrimp and mushroom-bean sprouts (http://www.answers.com/topic/sprouts) restaurant operated by Japanese-born U.S. entrepreneur Hiroaki "Rocky" Aoki, 25, meets with instant success and will be followed by Benihana (Red Flower) restaurants in other U.S. cities (see Benihana Palace, 1970 (http://www.answers.com/topic/1970)). Aoki stopped in New York en route to Rome 4 years ago as a member of Japan's Olympic wrestling team, ate at short-order hamburger grills, was struck with the idea that table-top cooking as practiced in Tokyo's sukiyaki (http://www.answers.com/topic/sukiyaki) restaurants might appeal to Americans, obtained a degree in restaurant management at one of the city's community colleges, and has earned part of his initial investment by driving an ice-cream truck.


***

[londonlawyer]

What is going on with the long-vacant lots on this block to the west at 59 -61 West 56th (http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByLocationServlet?requestid=3&allbin=1035038&allstrt=WEST+56+STREET&allnumbhous=59) :confused: ***

Adjacent to this lot are two empty, 3 story P'sOS on 57th St, which themselves are separated by an empty lot. I think the same owner owns the P's of S and the empty lot on 57th. I wonder if someone different owns the adjacent lot on 56th.

It was such a kick in the balls that the magnificent 56th St townhouses were razed when this empty lot was a few parcels down the street. The same holds true with greedy Solow's plan to raze an utterly magnificent structure just west of the Crown building. The filthy skank should build something on these empty lots instead.

[nycondoblog]

what's with the angry tone in your post? I agree that it's often a shame when townhouses are razed, but it happens, its legal, and the best we can do is hope that something attractive goes up in its place. The Pei project has real potential and the limestone facade certainly beats the average glass and steel combo which is cheaper and lower quality construction. My comment about other buildings coming down on 56th is a fact--developers already own some of the plots.

For the record, I'm not a broker. I'm actually an author. Thanks for the warm welcome :)

[infoshare]

what's with the angry tone in your post? .......
........... For the record, I'm not a broker. I'm actually an author. Thanks for the warm welcome :)

I found your comments on this new building to be both informative and well written; and being that you are speaking with some degree of "inside information" - all the better.

Speaking as a moderator I would like to advise to simply add to your ignore list any other member who you perceive as being "angry" or speaking to you in a rude "tone".

We'll written content is highly valued here at WiredNY: I hope you have not been discouraged from posting again in the future.

[Fabrizio]

Whoa there.

When a first time poster comes in with a post like that it should be expected that other posters just might suspect he's a shill. It happens all the time and the long time posters here aren't dumb.

Rather than advising this poster to use the "ignore" button on a long time poster like MidtownGuy ( nearly 2500 posts as opposed to... 2 ) perhaps he should get to know the place better first.... and feel the waters out a bit.

[infoshare]

Whoa there.

When a first time poster comes in with a post like that it should be expected that other posters just might suspect he's a shill.

All I will say is that I hope this first-time-poster does not become a last-time-poster: I therefore offered some welcoming advise to a new member who - for what ever reason - expressed the opinion that someone was being rude to him/her, so I stand by my advise. :p

[nycondoblog]

My thoughts exactly. I wasn't going to post again after midtown guy's cold welcome and Fabrizio's follow-up, but that would be a shame considering the interesting discussions going on around here. To assume that a new poster is a broker scamming to push units is very pessimistic. I assume these discussion boards go to better use than that!

I originally found this thread because Lockhart linked to Fabrizio's Centurion comments a couple weeks back on his blog. Then I read through a few different boards and decided to join the site and volunteer my experience at the sales office for the benefit of everyone in this room.

Anyway, I'll keep posting as I visit more offices. I'm debating buying another apartment after a hotel group bought 485 Fifth Avenue and they refunded my 10% deposit :)

[Fabrizio]

"To assume that a new poster is a broker scamming to push units is very pessimistic. I assume these discussion boards go to better use than that!"

Well, then it is obvious that you did just find out about this site.

As I mentioned, it happens often here: posters coming in on their very first posts trying to promote apartments or their websites or whatever.

Understand that posters here are on high-alert and thus Midtown's reaction. You should not take it so personally.

-----

Now on to the Centurion:

While I like this building, it is unfortunate that it will have "highly reflective" glass as you say. If so, mirrored glass is usually down-market looking and would be wrong for this block. And mirrored glass combined with limestone sounds pretty dreadful.

Interesting that Pei feels that tenenants "would never tolerate retail space in an ultra-chic condo building". They do at 15CPW, the Time Warner, Trump Tower, The Olympic Tower, The Plaza etc and etc.

Pei might want an attended garage.... but is he aware that a garage entrance on such a side street only ruins the ambience for the rest of us?



---

[Hamilton]

Pei's thinking is dated, and oh-so-60's.

[Merry]

Whoa there.

When a first time poster comes in with a post like that it should be expected that other posters just might suspect he's a shill. It happens all the time and the long time posters here aren't dumb.

Perhaps not, but some seem to jump to conclusions very quickly sometimes. Being street-wise doesn't mean having to be rude.

... 2 ) perhaps he should get to know the place better first.... and feel the waters out a bit.

And perhaps MidtownGuy (and anyone else) could do the same with regard to getting their facts straight about another person BEFORE they comment.

As I mentioned, it happens often here: posters coming in on their very first posts trying to promote apartments or their websites or whatever.

That's no excuse to tar all new posters with the same brush and make ill-informed assumptions about their motives for posting.

Understand that posters here are on high-alert and thus Midtown's reaction. You should not take it so personally.

A bit difficult considering the immediately accusative and discouraging tone. And, anyway, the response was very level-headed in the circumstances.


Thank you, infoshare, for your thoughts on this. I agree.

...anyway, that's my two cents' worth on that...back to the subject...


I started this thread simply because I like the LOOK of this building, with no consideration for other issues. I've left that up to more learned members and have been rewarded with a (mostly) very interesting and informative discussion.

And that includes your posts, nycondoblog, which I found both interesting and eloquent. I look forward to more. Thank you and welcome to the forum. I hope you'll stay.

[Fabrizio]

Ok guys, now this is a first: instead of dragging this out for a few more pages, I will stop here and explain myself no further.

(but just this one time)

---

http://youtube.com/watch?v=AhVBHjL92MI&feature=related

[BrooklynRider]

Pei's thinking is dated, and oh-so-60's.

I tend to agree with you. I don't think his name conjures up any visions of grandeur.

As for the inevitable destruction of the townhouses on that street, I'd say wait and see. Who does or does not own a property means little these days. Look at Roseland Ballroom. It is owned by Algin Management; one of the largest residential landlords in the city and developers in their own right. They've been sitting on this property for years and didn't move on developing it in the biggest real estate market in decades.

One thing that I observe in all of this would be the visionless destruction of Manhattan neighborhoods in favor of souless generic buildings.

What is there to really correlate "Chelsea," "Greenwich Village," "Murray Hill," "Turtle Bay," "Kips Bay," "Carnegie Hill," or any so called "neighborhood" to anything unique? The skyline and views might look great, but this has become one of the most sterile cities in the country at pedestrian level.

[MidtownGuy]

I know, it happened so quickly, it's shocking really.

now, to nycondoblog, who asked "what's with the angry tone in your post?"

I wouldn't say it was 'angry'. Maybe flippant? Or dismissive, oh, I don't know. Sorry if I ruffled feathers, and Welcome to the forum.

You know, it wasn't hard to get the wrong impression (if indeed it was, I'm not convinced) from your post. All that gushing praise, the style of the writing, only a few posts, and then that moniker of yours, can you blame me?
I'm still sore about the loss of the townhouses, yes. Daily reports of similar gems in danger of being razed, while other sites in the city cry for development, make me a little testy in the face of such unconditional enthusiasm, especially when it comes from people who might have personal gain as the main motivation. Like Fabrizio said, we get some of that around here.

Consider my subsequent post as merely a counterbalance to the one-sided representation of the project that directly preceeded it. My "tone" was a tonic; remedy for all of that breathless cheerleading.

The building will turn out fine, pretty limestone and all; but I will never consider it great because of what it does at street level, and because what it replaced looked better.

The prices are sky high, but the sales gal was great and they adore Pei.

Plus, I guess I'm just not as wild about Pei as the "sales gal".:cool:

[lofter1]

... this has become one of the most sterile cities in the country at pedestrian level.


Hard to agree with you on that ^ one.

At least in NYC folks walk, so no matter what damage hack architects / developers might inflict on the city NYC still has amazing energy on the street.

However ... As I was walking around this evening I noticed that stretches of various Avenues (those with chain retail and bad plastic signage / bright lighting) are starting to look like nothing better than strip malls :eek:

[MidtownGuy]

not so hard to agree after all, then;)

[Merry]

Centurion

I.M. Pei Joins his Son to Create The Centurion
New luxury building is the world’s first ground-up condominium designed by Pei Partnership Architects with Pritzker Prize-winning architect, I.M. Pei.
L.C. (Sandi) Pei, design partner of Pei Partnership Architects, is joined by his legendary father, I.M. Pei, in designing their first ground-up residential condominium, The Centurion in Manhattan. The building presents a unique opportunity to live in a space designed by the architectural team that created the Bank of China headquarters in Beijing and Hong Kong, and the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan. I.M. Pei is also the creator of The Pyramid, which modernized Paris’ Louvre Museum.

“We describe The Centurion as a bespoke tailor describes his art: a balanced composition of exquisite materials and richly crafted details that will never look old or dated,” said Sandi Pei. “This project was an unprecedented opportunity to design a building as a work of art in a prime area of New York City that pulsates with life.”

Located on 56th Street just west of Fifth Avenue, The Centurion is currently the only ground up residential building under construction in this world-famous upscale retail corridor. Developed by Stillman Development International and Antonio Development, the 19-story French limestone building will offer 48 one-to-four-bedroom homes, including 13 terraced residences and three penthouses. Interior living space will range from 754 to about 3,400 square feet. Several combinations are possible to create larger custom residences.

Opening prices range from $2,000,000 to more than $10,000,000.
Interior architecture by SLCE Architects consists of exceptionally spacious homes, several of which boast living rooms with ceilings and windows that soar to 17 feet. Each of The Centurion’s 31 unique floor plans maximizes the openness of living areas, and lightly reflective sound-insulating glass windows will allow homeowners to enjoy city views, while maintaining tranquility inside the home. Anticipated occupancy is early 2009.

Each residence at The Centurion will be finished with the finest materials, appliances, and fittings. Kitchen counters will be 1 ½ inch-thick solid glass slab set on a stainless steel surface, accented by glass tiled backsplash. Kitchen cabinets are custom natural walnut. Floors are teak. Appliances include 36-inch over-under Sub-Zero refrigerators paneled in natural walnut, 30-inch Wolf dual-fuel stainless steel ranges, Sub-Zero under-counter wine chillers and Bosch Integra dishwashers paneled in natural walnut.

Well-appointed master bathrooms will include 16” x 16” white Bianco Dolomiti polished marble tile floors and custom wood vanities with soft taupe-gray Baltimore limestone vanity counters, as well as Baltimore limestone walls and bathtub enclosures. Six-foot cast iron soak bathtubs by Michael S. Smith for Kallista will accompany separate glass shower stalls trimmed in polished chrome. Powder rooms will feature Spa Green honed marble floors, a full accent wall of Crystal White chiseled marble, and Dornbracht polished chrome sink, tub and shower fittings.

The Centurion’s exterior will be fully clad in hand-set French “Chamesson” limestone quarried from same region as the limestone used by the Peis for the façade of The Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan. The Centurion lobby floor and one continuous accent wall will be Magny du Louvre limestone, which I.M. Pei selected for the floor of the Louvre’s Pyramid. The 19-story Centurion façade will feature a graceful stepped profile consisting of a succession of cascading terraces. A symmetrical arrangement of five double-height windows with pewter-colored aluminum mullions will complete the building’s principal south-facing façade. This profile forms a limestone sculpture visible to pedestrians approaching from Fifth Avenue.

An entrance canopy of dark aluminum, nickel, stainless steel, and translucent glass will welcome residents into The Centurion’s stunning lobby, where a tranquil outdoor Water garden will be visible through a glass wall. The garden’s fountain cascades water into a reflecting pool, providing a unique and soothing view. The limestone lobby is accented with blonde Anigre wood, decorative marbles, and rich leathers.

“The Centurion will appeal to people from all over the world who understand the rarified nature of this building and who want to own one of the great works of Pei Partnership Architects with I.M. Pei,” said Roy Stillman, president of Stillman Development International. “I.M. and Sandi Pei’s architectural genius has produced some of the world’s most imaginative and graceful structures, and The Centurion is their next great architectural gem.”

The Centurion will boast services and amenities that cater to its cultured, discerning residents including a private exercise facility, a private water garden, an on-premise, and 24-hour attended garage. Storage units are available for purchase. The Centurion will offer a hotel-style, full-service Residents’ Assistant who will fulfill almost any request made by residents.
The Centurion will be located just steps from superb dining, entertainment, hotels, museums, city landmarks and Central Park. “This is the perennial destination of choice for Manhattan’s most sophisticated and privileged international and domestic residents and visitors. The Centurion is tantamount to exclusivity and is at the epicenter of everything that is New York,” said Antonio Development’s managing director Robbie Antonio, whose family has a long and bonded friendship with I.M. Pei.

“It was important for me to do one more building with my son, Sandi,” said I.M. Pei. “The Centurion was the right project because of my close relationship with the Antonio family, and the need for the second generation to take over.”


http://www.100thousandclub.com/us/ebro/index_us2.asp?art=271485#

[Merry]

From Pei's website (http://www.ppa-ny.com/projects/centurion/centurion.htm)

http://www.ppa-ny.com/images/project/centurion/centurion2.jpg

http://www.ppa-ny.com/images/project/centurion/centurion3.jpg

http://www.ppa-ny.com/images/project/centurion/centurion4.jpg

That full-height window is to die for, especially since the building is south-facing - lots of glorious light. Don't like those columns in the first picture, though. I assume they're structurally necessary (?).

[Merry]

The Centurion, 33 West 56th Street (Midtown), Manhattan, New York, United States

Apartment For Sale

Excess $2,825,000 (€1,803,153) - 1 Bedroom, 2 Bathrooms

Features:

One of the most desirable and central locations in all of Manhattan - 2 blocks from Central Park and steps from 5th Avenue
Beautifully finished and extremely spacious, with high ceilings and huge windows, and a unique array of floorplans.
First new building in this area (midtown) for 20 years - long term value for investment.
Boutique / exclusive condominium project with only 48 units in total.
By the legendary architect I.M. Pei, perhaps the greatest living of all architects (responsible for the Louvre Pyramid & the Manhattan Four Season

http://images1.daft.ie/photos/images/international_sale/560000/568707/centurion_building%28322x400%29.jpeg (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:openTargetWindow%28%27http://www.daft.ie/imagebrowser.daft?daftID=010eeae9536fcd834476dace5 c3c85f6&type=international_sale&id=568707&photo=1%27,620,627,%20%27mbrowser_568707%27%29;)

More Photos (http://www.daft.ie/imagebrowser.daft?daftID=010eeae9536fcd834476dace5 c3c85f6&type=international_sale&id=568707&photo=1)

Overall Floor Area: 92 Sq. Metres (990 Sq. Feet)

Offplan new construction with the 421g Tax Abatement - estimated completion Spring 2009

LOCATION:

Historically, the most desirable and elite locations for residential real estate in Manhattan have been centered around Central Park and Fifth Avenue. As the Centurion is two blocks from Central Park, and mere steps from Fifth Avenue, it is in the center of one of the safest areas for real estate investment in the city - in an area which has seen significant appreciation during the current boom market and has always appreciated historically (even in previous eras in which other areas of the city were not doing well).

With its proximity to Fifth Avenue, The Centurion will be surrounded by, literally, the finest shops in the world. Superb dining, entertainment, hotels, museums and city landmarks abound, and are all within a short walk of The Centurion.

All other areas of the city are easily accessible by public transportation, as virtually every subway line is a short walk away.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

During the immense wave of new condominium development in Manhattan throughout these last few years, a handful of buildings have stood out from all others as the most elite, the most prestigious, the most unique: The Plaza, 15 Central Park West, the Time Warner Center. To this short elite list can now be added The Centurion, a new condominium building currently under construction at 33 West 56th Street (56th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues). This location is one of the most desirable and central in all of Manhattan, 2 blocks from Central Park and steps from Fifth Avenue. The Centurion will be the first new building in this area for over 20 years.

The architect for the project is the legendary I.M. Pei, internationally recognized as one of the greatest architects of all time, and perhaps the greatest of all living architects.

Some of I.M. Pei's best known works include the pyramid at The Louvre in Paris, the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan, and the Bank of China building in Hong Kong, among countless other outstanding buildings. The Centurion is the only I.M. Pei-designed luxury Manhattan condo building ever. It is also Mr. Pei's first residential project in Manhattan in many decades. This outstanding pedigree will contribute to the long term value of the building from an investment perspective.

THE BUILDING

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 to be 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 will give 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.

Sensitivity to the surrounding buildings is a hallmark of all of Pei�s work. The Centurion will be a stately, elegant building with rich materials and gracious appointments, showing Pei's respect for the restrained elegance of the townhouses, boutique hotels, luxury merchants, and corporate headquarters which compose The Centurion's neighborhood.

Mr. Pei has designed the 17-story building to taper upward from a squared base through a series of gradual curves to a narrow top. The practical reason for these setbacks is that the neighborhood�s zoning only allows the lowest 85 feet of the building to be flush with the property line in the front of the building. It is these types of zoning rules which lead to the 'wedding cake' appearance of many older New York buildings. However, Pei did not want The Centurion to resemble a sharply-tiered wedding cake. The idea is for the appearance of a cascade of stone, rather than steps. Formed by a succession of setbacks and a symmetrical arrangement of five double-height windows, the south-facing principal facade gives The Centurion a unique vertical presence that draws the observer�s eye upward. This profile of cascading terraces forms a limestone sculpture visible to pedestrians approaching from Fifth Avenue.

The design calls for a wide lobby with a rear wall that overlooks a private courtyard and the building's 'Water Garden'. The floor and one continuous wall of the attended lobby will be soft, cream-colored Magny du Louvre French limestone accented by finishes of blonde Anigre wood, decorative marbles, and rich leathers. An elegant seating area with sophisticated artwork will offer visitors a tranquil place to rest and enjoy the Water Garden.

The Water Garden itself will feature clear water cascading gently over projecting granite weirs into a reflecting pool just beyond the lobby's glass wall. Planters at varied levels will warm the natural stone walls of the Water Garden. This will create a calming scene to welcome Centurion residents as they enter the lobby.

INTERIORS

The interior design of the apartments themselves will be handled by SLCE Architects, who have designed the units at several of New York's most high-end residential buildings, including 15 Central Park West, the Metropolitan, and 40 Mercer Street.

All residences will feature a high degree of architectural integrity and livability. The absolute highest quality level of materials and finishes will be used in all cases.

All residences will feature ceiling heights of 10 to 17 feet and specially-designed, enormous, tinted, sound-insulated windows. Oversized master bathrooms will feature soak tubs and separate shower stalls.

The Pei ambiance is recognized throughout the world for being elegant, graceful, tranquil, and timeless. For the residences at the Centurion, every detail was painstakingly decided, and only those materials, textures, colors and qualities consistent with the architectural integrity that is distinctly Pei were selected.

UNITS

All units will have beautiful finishes and will be extremely spacious. Unusually high 10 foot tall ceilings and huge windows add to the appeal and to the brightness and openness of the space. Some units will even have extremely high 17 foot ceilings in some areas.

Despite the small number of units, the building will offer a wide array of grand, unique, and spacious floorplans. It will not be a 'cookie cutter' building. There will be 31 unique floorplans available amongst the 48 units.

While the architecture, quality of materials and finishes, and location, place the Centurion in the most rarified realm of real property available in New York City today, it is currently selling at prices far lower than those at comparable buildings. Units on lower floors are currently selling in the range of $2,500-$3,000 a square foot, and even penthouse units are still selling in the $3,000s per square foot range. By comparison, The Plaza has sold some units for as much as $6,400 a square foot. 15 Central Park West is currently selling units in the $6,000 a square foot range, and re-sales at the Time Warner Center currently sell for around $5,500 a square foot. However, the Centurion has a sense of exclusivity and refinement that these other buildings lack, as the others are all huge complexes, while the Centurion contains very few units per floor, and very few units in total.

Note that these are current prices as of the writing of this report in January, 2008. Prices will likely rise significantly on each phased release as the building nears completion in the first quarter of 2009.

The Centurion will be a very attractive building for investors because it will be one of the last residential buildings in Manhattan to offer the 421-A tax abatement, significantly lowering the monthly carrying charges for owners - the 421g offers incentives in the form of lower taxes to developers, which they then pass on to condo owners in the form of lower real estate taxes. The program has been significantly altered and will no longer apply to any new residential buildings constructed in Manhattan after the end of 2007. As The Centurion began construction this year, it still offers the 421-A, and is one of very few remaining new construction buildings in Manhattan in which one can take advantage of this incentive.

VIEWS

Even units on lower floors will have lovely New York street views and will be very bright (so will rent very well). There are very few comparable apartments available for rent in this area, so they will rent at a very high premium. Only the small number of apartments available for rent at The Plaza, 15 Central Park West, and the Time Warner Center will offer a comparable product - and these command very high rents. A studio at the Plaza is currently on the market for rent at $6,900 p.m. for example.

New York Residence recommends The Centurion as an investment property due to the prestige, exclusivity, quality, and uniqueness of the building. It is simply one of the best of all new development condominium projects currently selling in Manhattan.

APARTMENT AVAILABILITIES

The Centurion is a boutique condominium building and as such there are few available units, and these are selling briskly. It is currently the fastest-selling of all the comparable high-end condominium buildings in Manhattan.

New York Residence Inc. has access to the full inventory of remaining units. These range from 4C, a 987 square foot one bedroom currently priced at $2,475,000 to a duplex penthouse with a huge terrace and two exposures currently on the market for $10 million. While all segments of the residential real estate market in Manhattan have seen significant appreciation over the last few years, the 'luxury market', defined as the most expensive 10% of apartments on the market at a given time, has outperformed all others. The prices of most units at The Centurion place them firmly in this 'luxury' category. And again, keep in mind that the current prices of units at The Centurion are significantly lower on a per-square-foot basis than those at comparable buildings in the area.

One can secure a unit at The Centurion by making a 10% down payment at the time of contract signing, with another 10% payable six months later. Note: there is no possibility of negotiation on the current prices. The way that the selling of a new development in New York City works is that the developer raises prices as the sales process goes on, on a phased sales release of select units. So the best investment strategy is to get in early to lock in the current prices.

http://www.daft.ie/searchinternational_sale.daft?daftID=010eeae9536fc d834476dace5c3c85f6&search=1&s%5Ba_id%5D=8559&s%5Bcountry_id%5D=3&s%5Bregion_id%5D=356&s%5Bsearch_type%5D=international_sale&s%5Bfurn%5D=&s%5Brefreshmap%5D=1&limit=10&search_type=international_sale&id=568707

[Merry]

Another listing:

£1490000 Top Manhattan Condo, designed by world famous architect I.M.Pei (New York, 56th Street/5th Avenue)

Date: 2008-05-10, 1:13AM BST

Absolutely stunning new condominium apartments, designed by world famous architect I.M.Pei. Mr. Pei is the architect for the pyramids of the Louvre, the Bank of China building in Hong Kong, the Four Seasons Hotel on 57th Street in Manhattan and many other outstanding buildings in the word. The building, named the Centurion, is located steps from Central Park and the best shopping in New York. Cartier, Tiffany & Co, Harry Winston, Chanel, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and many other exclusive shops are at your doorstep.

This is an exciting off plan opportunity. This super high end and very exclusive buildings has only 48 units, priced from GBP $1,490,000. 10% at contract signing, 10% after 6 months and the rest is only due when the building is complete in early 2009.

Please email now for floor plans and prices. This is the fastest selling high class condominium building in New York!

http://images.craigslist.org/0101090115020116142008050963eda5df4a3f7f3bee00e619 .jpg http://images.craigslist.org/010204011606010403200805096a69acf4194c09f90f0016b7 .jpg http://images.craigslist.org/01010701151101031020080509d3021c8b4ffe2ac6f6006d93 .jpg http://images.craigslist.org/01010601160101040920080509c6352d1a2b46b7366800b158 .jpg

http://london.craigslist.co.uk/rfs/674757742.html

[Merry]

Click on the picture to zoom in:

http://www.questmag.com/questmag/200803/?pg=73

[Jasonik]

^In that rendering the double height fenestration is different. I assume it's older.

This is better.

http://www.ppa-ny.com/images/project/centurion/centurion4.jpg

[econ_tim]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2527448643_3d878316fb.jpg

[Jasonik]

That's FLAT!

Similar in a way to the UGH but much cleaner.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/91/236424788_90e414bfc2.jpg?v=0

[Merry]

http://realestate.nytimes.com/images/spacer.gif http://www.corcoran.com/images/media/UnitPhotos/464744.1.jpg http://realestate.nytimes.com/images/spacer.gif http://realestate.nytimes.com/images/spacer.gif
"The Centurion, the first residential condominium in the world to be designed by Pei Partnership Architects with legendary architect I.M. Pei. In creating The Centurion the Peis sought to update a century-old tradition of characterizing elegant residential properties with handsome silhouettes, rich materials, and gracious appointments. The architects' respect for the restrained elegance of the townhouses, boutique hotels, luxury merchants, and corporate headquarters that compose this world famous neighborhood is immediately apparent in their design for The Centurion. The Peis chose to clad all four sides of The Centurion's magnificent 19-story facade in fine Chamesson limestone quarried from the Burgundy region. Each hand-set stone is a warm beige color animated by gentle wisps of brown veining. The entire facade rests on a base of dark gray Jet Mist granite. Formed by a succession of setbacks and a symmetrical arrangement of five double-height windows, the south-facing principal facade gives The Centurion a unique vertical presence that draws the observer's eye upward. This profile of cascading terraces forms a limestone sculpture that is visible to pedestrians approaching from Fifth Avenue. Sales presentations begin on July 9th in the sales center located in the offices of Stillman Development International, managing developer of The Centurion"http://www.corcoran.com/property/nytcounter.asp?listingid=1046351

Listing Informationhttp://realestate.nytimes.com/images/spacer.gif
Property ID: 1046351 Price: $8,500,000 Bedrooms: 3 Rooms: 6 Baths: 3.5 Sq ft: 2,023 CC/Maint: $3,092 RE Tax: $1,075 Type: Condo Built: 2009 Floors: 19 Units: 48 http://realestate.nytimes.com/images/spacer.gif
http://realestate.nytimes.com/images/spacer.gif
http://realestate.nytimes.com/images/spacer.gif
Amenities and Featureshttp://realestate.nytimes.com/images/spacer.gif
Doorman/Attendant Garage Washer/Dryer Pets Allowed Metropolitan Built: 2009 Floors: 19 Units: 48
http://realestate.nytimes.com/images/spacer.gif http://realestate.nytimes.com/images/spacer.gif
FLOORPLANhttp://realestate.nytimes.com/images/spacer.gif
http://www.corcoran.com/images/media/UnitFloorplans/464744.1.gif

New York Times listing (http://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/detail/44-1046351)

[macncheese57]

I'm sure it's a very well designed building with excellent materials and workmanship. The block just doesn't feel that residential, with all the restaurants and small businesses. Narrow street, mid-block location. The scale of the building vs the block seems a bit too much to me. On the surface, saying 'IM Pei, just off 5th Avenue' sounds very glamorous, but the actual feel of the block won't live up to that.

[lofter1]

The buildings on the other side of the block with all the restaurants are not protected.

Don't be surprised that within 10 years a comparable building rises along the south side of the block.

For me what makes the block less desirable is the banal thru-block passage way a couple of lots west of the Centurion.

[macncheese57]

You mean the walkway with Bay Leaf and Benihana on 56th leading to Nobu on 40 W 57th?

I kind of like the high-low Japanese-ish restaurant continuum.

[lofter1]

That's the one. The restaurants I have no problem with. Perhaps it needs more of that -- and somethng that stays a bit lively into the nighttime hours. Maybe its the long-empty lot nearby. But that whole end of the block seems weirdly not-upscale, which is what The Centurion is all about.

This block has something of a split persoanlity and the two ends have little to no relation to each other.

If I had multi-multimillions to spend this block wouldn't be my choice as a place to live.

[Derek2k3]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2527448643_3d878316fb.jpg

This pales in comparison to what we lossed.
It's unthinkable someone would come and destroy these.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3112/2668882155_dc95ac18b1_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2668882157_b8f514774d_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2668882159_12d61e9273_o.jpg

[Scraperfannyc]

It's what is happening to NYC these days, especially in midtown. Old world charm is being razed and replaced by this ugly stuff. Some cities would not allow such destruction. Equally as bad, building tall masterpieces on empty lots seem to be fiercely opposed in midtown.

At least for now, I am looking toward downtown for inspiration in new skyscrapers, not in midtown.

[NYC4Life]

There's really nothing that can be done to prevent old structures from being demolished unless it has been given Landmark status, which only few buildings get.

[philvia]

sigh

i really am all for demolishing old ugly walk ups to make way for tall and sleek towers... EXCEPT charming buildings like those above^^^ there needs to be some kinda new standard on demolishing them.

[Jasonik]

..there needs to be some kinda new standard..
I assume you mean other than paying more than a developer is willing to pay -- the old fashioned private property way.

[MidtownGuy]

Seeing those pictures side by side really says it all. Pei's tower looks like a pile of boring crap in comparison.
I'll never be able to walk down that block without being sad for the loss of those grand buildings.

[avngingandbright]

This really makes me want to cry. This, and the soon to be loss of the 57th street townhomes, and the buildings destroyed by Extel across from Carnegie. I have lost all faith in the American people seeing things like this. :(

[Shadly]

Old world charm is being razed and replaced by this ugly stuff.

Equally as bad, building tall masterpieces on empty lots seem to be fiercely opposed in midtown.

One inherently causes the other. What's amazing to me, is somehow I think many of the people that are opposed to the later, and equally opposed to the former. :confused:

The, zero growth position never holds up in the real world, and it always has bad consequences when it's implemented.