As the old saying goes, “I don’t know much about art…but I know what I like.” And THIS tower, I like!
The Greater Toronto Area’s first major architectural design competition in 40 years has landed this amazing, stunning, corkscrew of a condo as part of Mississauga’s effort to build a complex of distinctive towers in its city centre. Because of its twists and curves, it’s been nick named The Marilyn Monroe Tower…and I think the name is more than appropriate. It’s daring, it’s in-your-face (but in a good way), it has a bit of slick-city-style-meets-tropical/Arabian Emirate chic, and it’s about as distinctive as one can get in a bedroom community like Mississauga.
I’m not one of those people that bitches and complains ad nauseum about modern design ruining classical architecture — if something looks neat, go for it. Skyscraping towers are especially nice for this sort of thing, especially since the 1930s golden age of Empire State Buildings, and the modern neo-gothic plinths of the 1960s, have given way to some incredibly boring designs.
This tower is hot and spicy and iconic in a way that Marilyn Monroe would have appreciated. And if you’re buidling wins over the hard-nosed mayor herself (“Hurricane” Hazel McCallion), then you’re doing something right.
Kitchener needs one of these gorgeous designs. Imagine a tower like THIS gracing our downtown centre block re-development. Imagination, wackiness and fun should be encouraged…there’s not enough of it in the world today. Especially in our architecture.
