33 West 56th Street

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.