Modernism has a famous motto: A house is a machine for living in. However, as we increasingly leave the machine age behind, we are left with a question: what message should architecture convey? What is the house of today?
Like other fast developing suburbs in North America, Mississauga is seeking a new identity. This is an opportunity to respond to the needs of an expanding city, to create a residential landmark that moves beyond simple efficiency to provide an emotional connection for the people who live there.
In place of the simple, functional logic of modernism, our design expresses the complex and multiple needs of contemporary society. Despite its landmark status, the emphasis is not solely on height. The entire building rotates at different degrees on different levels in correspondence with the surrounding scenery, creating a changing, uncertain profile. A continuous balcony surrounds each floor, eliminating the vertical barriers that are traditionally used in high-rise architecture and providing 360 degree views to reawaken city dwellers’ appreciation of nature, to get them in touch with the sunlight and the wind.
This building is more than just a functional machine: located at the junction of two main streets, it is both a landmark and a gateway that signifies entrance to the city. The form is sculptural, beautiful, and redolent of the human body. The Absolute Tower has since been nicknamed Marilyn Monroe by the local people.
