The Mississauga Urban Design Awards are tonight and we're all cheering on Yansong Ma and Absolute World. Earlier this week CNN talked about Absolute as part of their ongoing Great Buildings series.
CNN also published an interview with the architect about the project that's putting Mississauga on the world architecture map.
Regardless of what happens at the awards tonight, this achievement by a gifted young archeitect from Beijing really does have mass international appeal.
We're in the home stretch at Absolute World in Mississauga. Both buildings are well under way with occupancy, with the majority of both buildings being lived in. Here are some recent photos from the site. Enjoy!
Unfortunately we don't have an estimated time of completion for the podium but we'll be sure to provide an update as soon as we know.
Also, just a quick reminder that Absolute has been nominated for the 2012 Mississauga Urban Design Awards. The awards will be resented on September 28 at the Mississauga Civic Centre. Wish us luck!
The penthouse may be known as a "house in the sky" but that doesn't mean it's unreachable.
At Cityzen this weekend, we're releasing a VIP preview of the fine penthouse suites at Absolute Towers. The fully furnished model suite can be viewed by private appointment this weekend on June 23rd from 12pm to 5pm.
Penthouses are a great way to replicate the single-family home lifestyle, says Sam Crignano, president of Cityzen in a National Post article. With marvelous views, prime amenties and features and enough space to hold a thousand parties, these vivacious towers designed by Yansong Ma howl with style in downtown Mississauga.
While there will only be three penthouses available for purchase, we're also releasing a previously reserved block of executive suites located above the 40th floor, an ideal option for those looking for smaller suites without compromising luxury.
Suites in this range from 760 to 1,785 square feet and are priced from $474,000 to $1,437,000. Each penthouse suite includes two parking spaces and a storage locker whereas the Executive Suites have a tandem parking space for two cars plus a locker. There are more notable features as well.
Register today for this VIP sales event at www.absolutecondos.com. For more information please call 416-896-6057. See all 360 panoramic views here. For all photos, visit our Facebook album.
Need more convincing to live at Absolute? Our official Absolute video covers the reasons why the towers were built in Mississauga and features interviews with Toronto Star critic Christopher Hume, Mayor Hazel McCallion, Commissioner of Planning and Building Ed Sajecki, Sam Crignano, and Yansong Ma of MAD Architects.
It's all over the news by now. We're certain that you've noticed.
The Absolute Towers in Mississauga have been named some of the best tall buildings in the world this year by the non-profit Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Designed by Beijing architect Yansong Ma, the curvaceous, Marilyn-Monroe-esque towers join three other international winners including 1 Bligh Street in Sydney, Australia, Palazzo Lombaridia in Milan, Italy, and Doha Tower/BurjQuatar in Doha, Qatar.
"With Absolute we see the entire building twisting to achieve the organic form, creating a beautiful new landmark for a developing urban area,” says David Scott, head of structural engineering at Laing O'Rourke.
The 2012 winner for the “Best Tall Building Worldwide” will be named at the CTBUH 11th Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago on October 18.
The news has been mentioned on high-traffic websites such as: Toronto Star, Apartment Therapy, ArchDaily, MSNBC, Mississauga.com, World Architecture News and Reuters, just to name a few.
“Words cannot express how proud we are of this accomplishment,” says Sam Crignano, president of Cityzen Development Group. Thank you to everyone for their support. Let's show the world that we can put Canada on the architectural map over and over again.
If you haven't watched the video on Absolute, see it now!
Thought you missed out on living in Mississauga's most iconic condo?
Think again.
At Cityzen Development Group and Fernbrook Homes, we've launched the highly anticipated penthouses in the fifth and final tower of Absolute World.
The Absolute Towers -- designed by Yansong Ma through an international design competition -- soar 50 storeys above the heart of Mississauga. The towers' sinuous, avant-garde curves can be seen from Lake Ontario and beyond.
Buyers: act fast. There are only three penthouses available.
We will also release a previously reserved block of executive suites all located above the 40th floor. This option is ideal for those looking for smaller suites without compromising luxury and sweeping views.
Suites in this range from 760 to 1,785 square feet, and are priced from $474,000 to $1,437,000. Each penthouse suite includes two parking spaces and a storage locker whereas the Executive Suites have a tandem parking space for two cars plus a locker.
The penthouses and Executive Suites at Absolute offer elegant, high-end amenities including Jenn Air kitchen appliances, a Sub Zero fridge, and natural stone countertops in the kitchen. Bathrooms feature deep soaker tubs and showers complete with frameless glass and polished chrome fixtures.
Engineered hardwood floors extend throughout the suite. For those who prefer a warmer look, plush 50-ounce wool carpeting is available for bedrooms. All three penthouse suites feature 10-foot ceilings and elegant crown mouldings in the living and dining rooms.
A fully furnished Penthouse Model is available for viewing by private appointment. The VIP release is scheduled for June 23rd from 12pm to 5pm.
Register today for this VIP sales event at www.absolutecondos.com. For more information please call 416-896-6057. See all 360 panoramic views here. For all photos, visit our Facebook album here.
Yansong Ma's work extends beyond our cherished Absolute Towers. His engulfing architectural design is recognized worldwide, and he's not even 40 years old. This is part one in a series of his award-winning architectural and art works.
---
Imagine trekking through the Gobi desert; a dry, stormy chunk of land spanning across Mongolia and northern China. Then you see it: a giant, curvy spaceship-like globule with undulating aluminum panels.
At first you're taken aback by its amorphous qualities, but you're bewildered by its placement. Nothing surrounds this beautiful, ethereal structure, which is the Ordos Museum envisioned by Yansong Ma and MAD Architects in 2005.
“When we got to the site, it was like the middle of nowhere,” says Ma. “It was like an endless desert landscape.” He was thrilled that it looked like it came from outer space. “I wouldn’t want people to think I borrowed an architectural style, and I wanted to create a different type of architecture,” he said. “If they want to call it alien, I think that’s great. Nobody knows what’s from outer space, so that’s good.”
Ma strongly believes that the building should be without cultural identity. Whereas most architecture for new Chinese cities envision either modern or traditional styles, Ma sees the Ordos Museum as simply an abstract object that landed on the desert.
“I knew I was going to design a building in the centre of this new masterplan,” Ma said, “But I didn’t know what buildings would be around us.” Slowly but surely, the building fills with exhibitions of contemporary art and prehistoric artifacts from the area. The space is dedicated to the indigenous, nomadic, equine culture that exists in Ordos.
Placed in the district of Kangbashi, Ordos is expanding at a rapid pace; not only is it home to an increasing number of coal millionaires but it also produces China’s highest gross domestic product per capita. The town has one-sixth of all of China’s coal reserves and one-third of its natural gas reserves. But it's not filled to the brim with people yet.
Controversial Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei was selected to master-plan Ordos 100, a community of 100 parcels of land curated by Swiss architecture firm Herzog and de Meuron. The project remains unfinished while the Ordos Museum was completed in November 2011.
What is the future of Ordos itself? There are already hundreds of people congregating around the museum before sunset every day. “In the end, it will become a very successful public space,” Ma assures himself. When you think about it, it wouldn't be so bad to visit a museum surrounded by sand dunes.
---
Resources:
Lately, we've got curves on our mind. The Monroe-esque contours of the Absolute towers in Mississauga have motivated us to study various types of sweeping, twisted and sinuous architecture around the world.
Much to our delight, there are numerous voluptuous buildings to be witnessed. After some serious Google searches and hours spent in the proverbial library, we've come up with a well-rounded, full-figured list of voluminous buildings. (No pun intended).
Here are our favourites:
The Aqua Building on Chicago's waterfront wins for most impressive undulating.
The Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles is just one example of the many astounding buildings designed by starchitect extraordinaire, Frank Gehry.
The Turning Torso in the influential, miniature town of Malmo, Sweden, stands as a whirling statue for all of Scandinavia.
Devious! Frank Gehry's Dancing Building in Prague, Czech Republic, has us sashaying towards its whimsy windows.
In Groningen, Netherlands, these coiling treats are actually the Education Executive Agency and Tax Offices. We wish taxes were this exciting.
The Guggenheim in New York City is a classic, with art winding through the interior of the building, while the exterior leaves us thinking about The Future.
The Jameson House slinks into Vancouver, B.C., making its mark as one of the city's most intricate buildings.
30 St. Mary Axe is a salacious bullet in a fragment of London's skyline.
We can dig it.
Don't know about you, but we're adding these to our architecture sightseeing bucket list. Are we missing your favourite building? Tweet us your favourite piece of curvy architecture!
This is the first of a monthly contribution that I'll be making to the official Cityzen blog. I'll discuss all things Cityzen including the latest updates on our projects, interesting things that we have in the pipeline, upcoming events and much more.
