His works include the Musée de Louvre’s pyramid in Paris and Doha’s Museum of Modern Art—no wonder then that I.M. Pei’s New York residence is an architectural masterpiece

Gaze up at the façade of this smart, four-story townhouse located in New York‘s prestigious Sutton Place, and its architectural significance may not be immediately obvious. Step inside the classic, moss-green door however, and clues to a revolutionary former owner become instantly more apparent.

Located centrally in the cool, marble-floored entrance hall, a spectacular spiral staircase winds its way gracefully through the very core of what was once a traditional Victorian property, while at the top sits a glittering geometric skylight, which allows light to flow freely downwards, bathing the many levels below.