Absolute in Mississauga
by Dan Flomen
I first had the opportunity to work in Mississauga over 10 years ago. At the time, I was surprised to see a true sleeper community less than 30 minutes from downtown. Very few high-rise buildings, with the exception of a couple of older condos and rental apartments, graced the landscape. The Burnhamthorpe and Hurontario corridor was lacking most residential components. Mississauga was a suburb of Toronto.
All of that changed in the blink of an eye. With the realization of Mississauga’s potential, the local government under Mayor Hazel McCallion encouraged growth in both industry and development. Builders, in turn, heard the call and started to envision the future of the city.
The area around Square One, once devoid of residential buildings, is now home to one of the fastest-growing communities of high-rises in Canada. With many success stories in the making, Absolute stands above the rest due to its local impact coupled with its international exposure of the area.
Thinking outside the box, Fernbrook Homes, along with Cityzen Development Group, approached the best architects in the world to help them in developing one of their towers by holding an international design competition, an event often reserved for landmark buildings in world-class cities such as London or Tokyo. The competition saw submissions from every corner of the globe.
The winner was Yansong Ma of the MAD studio, whose offices are located in Beijing and Ann Arbor. With its Marilyn Monroe-inspired design, this centrepiece, named Absolute World, will be unlike any residential tower in the GTA.
Inquiries for suites flooded in from abroad. “The interest in Absolute World has been unlike any other project in the history of the GTA. Part comes from the stunning design. We quite literally searched the world for the best of the best. Part comes from the location. Burnhamthorpe Road and Hurontario Street is the premier site in Mississauga,†says Danny Salvatore, president of Fernbrook Homes.
Absolute, when completed, will be home to over 1,500 families in one of the highest-profile corners in Mississauga. It’s a master-planned, gated community comprised of five high-rise condominium residences and executive townhomes. In the heart of the community, Fernbrook will create the Absolute Club, a three-level 30,000-square-foot recreation centre, one of the largest of its kind in Mississauga.
Although buildings already exist in the vicinity, few will impact the area as much as Absolute World. Buying into a building such as this is akin to buying fine art. Driving down Burnhamthorpe, this structure will catch your eye. The flair of this building should provide a catalyst for future visionaries, both in Mississauga and the rest of the GTA.
The economic impact of the Absolute community is apparent. It brings a direct impact through its sales and an indirect impact that owners will create by living there. Within minutes of theatres, shops, and restaurants, this collection of towers will increase the revenue of the local economy.
Absolute has done something that few Canadian cities have accomplished: it shone a spotlight on Canada and, in turn, assisted in removing the suburban stigma. Mississauga is now a city that can boast about its international designs.
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