Mississauga’s Absolute Towers win international recognition

The dramatic Absolute Towers that have transformed the skyline of Mississauga, west of Toronto have won an international award.

Visible for miles, the curvaceous twin structures, dubbed the “Marilyn Munroe” building, have won one of four 2012 regional awards from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). The 56 and 50-storey residential towers won as “Best Tall Building Americas.” They measure 179.5 metres and 158 metres.

The three other regional winners are for Asia/Australia (1 Bligh Street, Sydney), Europe (Palazzo Lombardia, Milan), and Middle East/Africa (Doha Tower/Burj Qatar). The four will compete for “Best Tall Building Worldwide” to be named in October at a ceremony at the Illinois Institute for Technology in Chicago.

Sigmund Soudack is the structural engineer for the Absolute Towers. MAD architects did the design, and Burka Architects is associate architect. Stantec is the mechanical and electrical engineer, and the owner is Fernbrook and Cityzen.

The towers which twist and curve and are encircled by unbroken balconies, are described as having “a surprisingly simple and inexpensive structural solution. The jury commented: “There have been several curvaceous towers completed in recent years — some using balconies to achieve the free-form edge, and others using the whole facade. With Absolute we see the entire building twisting to achieve the organic form, creating a beautiful new landmark for a developing urban area.”

The Jameson House in Vancouver was a finalist in the Americas category of the CTBUH awards. Completed in 2011, it is located on West Hastings Street and stands the 19th tallest tower in Vancouver at 118-metres. It was designed by Foster + Partners, with Walter Francl Architecture as associate architect, Halcrow Yolles as structural engineer, and IMEC Mechanical as mechanical-electrical engineer. Jameson Development Corporation is the owner.