The Century Apartments ARCHITECT: Irwin S. Chanin DATE: 1931 STYLE: Art Deco

The Century Apartments, built in 1931, is one of the major Art Deco style apartment buildings in America. It stands today as a testament to the vision of its architect and builder Irwin S. Chanin and is one of his finest works. With its twin-towered form, enabled by the 1929 multiple dwelling law, it is one of a small group of related structures that help give Central Park West its distinctive silhouette.

The Century is a sophisticated essay in Art Deco design, exhibiting a complex balance of horizontal and vertical elements that creates a dynamic design tension. This is expressed in the manipulation of such structural features as brickwork, windows, bays, and balconies. The towers with their crowns are one of New York City’s major architectural adornments. The Century Apartments continue to symbolize the high quality of residential design on New York’s Upper West Side.