Mississauga, Ont.’s Absolute Towers has been named the best new high-rise in the Americas by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
Due to their “hourglass figure,” the two residential buildings have been called the ‘Marilyn Monroe’ towers. Set to be completed in August, Tower 1 is 179.5 m (589 ft), while Tower 2 is 158 m (518 ft).
Based on the project submissions, the design features smooth, unbroken balconies that wrap each floor, and at each successive level, the floor plate rotates in a range of one to eight degrees. The towers are supported by concrete load-bearing walls that extend and contract in response to the sectional fluctuation created by the floor rotation. The balconies consist of cantilevered concrete slabs, with thermal breaks at the exterior glazing so insulation does not need to wrap the whole balcony.
“There have been several curvaceous towers completed in recent years—some using balconies to achieve the free-form edge, and others using the whole façade, said David Scott, head of structural engineering firm, Laing O’Rourke. “With Absolute, we see the entire building twisting to achieve the organic form, creating a beautiful new landmark for a developing urban area.”
Projects are awarded for their contributions to advancing tall buildings and the urban environment, and for achieving sustainability at the highest level. The other 2012 regional winners include:
• 1 Bligh Street in Sydney (Asia and Australia);
• Palazzo Lombardia in Milan (Europe); and
• Doha Tower/BurjQatar in Doha (Middle East and Africa).
The Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi won the CTBUH’s first Innovation Award for the project’s computer-controlled sunscreen, while architect Helmut Jahn was awarded the Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award, and structural engineers Charles Thornton and Richard Tomasetti were honoured with the Fazlur R. Khan Lifetime Achievement Medal.
