The Centurion - 33 West 56th Street - Condo - by I. M. Pei

**NoyokA** · November 20th, 2007, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by alonzo-ny

What happened to Pei? He lost it.

Well, he is 300 years old.

**Alonzo-ny** · November 20th, 2007, 11:26 PM

Where's my slippers....

**TREPYE** · November 21st, 2007, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by alonzo-ny

What happened to Pei? He lost it.

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

Images courtesy http://archrecord.construction.com/i...411history.asp

**kz1000ps** · November 21st, 2007, 02:52 AM

^ 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** · November 21st, 2007, 05:34 PM

Fabrizio made todays curbed on the subject of this building!
http://curbed.com/archives/2007/11/2...crete.php#more

**infoshare** · November 21st, 2007, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by scumonkey

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** · November 21st, 2007, 10:25 PM

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** · December 1st, 2007, 11:36 AM

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** · December 1st, 2007, 04:43 PM

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** · December 1st, 2007, 06:20 PM

What is going on with the long-vacant lots on this block to the west at 59 -61 West 56th

This was the site of the first NYC Benihana of Tokyo restaurant in the 1964:

Benihana of Tokyo opens in New York at 61 West 56th Street. The teppinyaki-hibachi-style steak-shrimp and mushroom-bean 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). 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 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** · December 1st, 2007, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by lofter1

What is going on with the long-vacant lots on this block to the west at 59 -61 West 56th

***

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** · December 2nd, 2007, 04:03 PM

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** · December 2nd, 2007, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by nycondoblog

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** · December 2nd, 2007, 05:13 PM

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** · December 2nd, 2007, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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.