NEW YORK, April 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Master architect I.M. Pei was born in Guangzou, China on April 26th,1917. Coming to the United States to study architecture, he later became a US citizen and made Manhattan his permanent home. Today he celebrates his 97th birthday in good spirits and good health. He also celebrates 75 years of marriage with his wife Eileen Loo whom he married in 1939. 

Known for many iconic structures such as the Pyramid of the Louvre in Paris, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, the Four Seasons Hotel in New York or more recently the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Pei is revered as the last surviving modernist architect.

His impressive body of work includes dozens of acclaimed international masterpieces.

All of I.M. Pei's structures have a very unique quality, characterized by an obsession with geometry and light-flooded open spaces.

The Centurion Condominium in the heart of Manhattan, at 33 West 56th Street, is the only condominium building he ever designed; the work was completed together with his son Sandi (Li Chung) Pei. It embodies the best qualities of Pei's work; the building features exquisite European materials such as French limestone and rare woods and it even has its own waterfall in the lobby.

The property comprises of 48 unique apartments and is nearly sold out, a few select apartments such as a stunning full floor penthouse with two private terraces remain.

Priced from $2,950,000, the building represents lasting value in the booming New York real estate market and apartments are certain to become collector's items. Current residents of the Centurion include several members of the Fortune 400 list who appreciate the building for its high level of security, personal service and timeless elegance. Details of available apartments can be found at the building's website www.centurioncondo.com and on the website of its real estate broker New York Residence at www.nyr.com.

I.M. Pei has won a wide range of prizes and awards in the field of architecture for his work, such as the Lifetime Achievement Award from Cooper-Hewitt, the Royal Institute's Gold Medal - Britain's highest architectural honor - and the Pritzker Prize, sometimes called the Nobel Prize of architecture.

Happy Birthday to one of the best architects of our time!

CONTACT: Thomas Guss, New York Residence, Inc., 212-360-7000 x103, tgny@mac.com

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SOURCE The Centurion Condominium