by Brianna Crandall — October 2, 2013—The world-renowned architecture prize for skyscrapers, the Emporis Skyscraper Award, goes this year to the Absolute World Towers in Mississauga, Canada. The two towers, along with a list of the top 10 new skyscrapers around the world, were selected by an international jury of experts from over 300 skyscrapers at least 100 meters tall completed last year. The 2012 award, given by Emporis, the international provider of building data, is being presented for the thirteenth time this year.
Absolute World Towers, which form part of a five-building complex intended to act as a gateway to Mississauga, Canada, were designed by the architectural practices MAD and Burka Architects. The towers won over the jury primarily through their unmistakable design: “The way the two structures twist organically by up to 8 degrees per floor is not just a superb technical achievement, but also a refreshing change to the set forms of high-rise routine,” stated the panel of experts in explaining the choice of the pair of towers, 176 and 158 meters tall, as the winner.
The second-placed project is Al Bahr Towers in Abu Dhabi, designed by Aedas Architects. Due to its innovative façade, the skyscraper complex convinced the judges in terms of both climate and design criteria. The outer skin of the façades is rotated by computer in response to the sun’s position, leading to a substantial reduction in thermal energy inside the buildings. In designing the towers, the architects drew inspiration from Arab mashrabiya windows — sun and privacy screens found in traditional Islamic architecture.
This is the second time a Canadian building has won the award, and cities such as Moscow, Istanbul and Guangzhou are staking a claim in the historical record with their own outstanding architecture. Click on graphic to enlarge.
The expert jury voted Burj Qatar, a 238 meter tall skyscraper in Doha, into third place. Designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel, it is the building’s exceptional façade design that stood out for the judges. The metal mesh façade, whose design — as with Al Bahr Towers — draws on traditional mashrabiya windows and is intended to contribute to protection from the sun, reveals a complex pattern at close quarters. The imposing effect of the ornamental façade reaches its full expression under the dome that tops the cylinder-shaped skyscraper.
Absolute World Towers winning the Emporis Skyscraper Award means this is now the second time the prize has gone to Canada. In 2001, Vancouver’s One Wall Centre claimed the coveted top spot. Surprisingly, the United States — the cradle of high-rise architecture — does not feature this year, notes Emporis. Instead, major international cities such as Moscow, Istanbul or Guangzhou are said to stake their claim to their own chapter in the history of outstanding skyscraper architecture with an impressive array of unique buildings.
