Chinese firm, MAD Architects just completed the curvaceous Absolute Towers
in Mississauga, Canada, its first project in North America. Nicknamed
the Marilyn Monroe towers for their voluptuous form, the project serves
as residential towers in the quickly growing city just to the west of
Toronto. Developed by Cityzen Development Group,
the pair of towers emphasize nature and feature 360 degree balconies
that aid in solar passive design as a way to reduce energy use inside.
MAD Architects
won an international competition to design the towers, which is part of
a larger 5 tower development project in the downtown area of
Mississauga. The project was aimed to provide important residential
space for the city as well as create a landmark tower for the rapidly
growing Toronto suburb. MAD Architects didn’t want to build the same old
boring boxy tower, so they designed one with a lot of curves. It’s so
curvy in fact that locals are calling them the Marilyn Monroe Towers.
The curves are created by slightly rotating each floor plate by a few
degrees, which alters the profile and gives them their distinct shape.
Tower A is 56 stories and 170 meters tall, while Tower B is 50 stories
and 150 meters tall.
Nature
also play an important role in the design of the towers and MAD wanted
each resident to have access to nature through their views. Balconies
encircle the building on every floor and provide additional living space
for residents. Natural ventilation and daylighting
reach in through operable windows and doors and the floor to ceiling
glass exterior. The wide balconies work to aid in solar passive design –
shading the interior in the summer and letting in warm sun during the
winter, which helps reduce the energy load for cooling and heating.
