Great Glazing: Absolute Towers

The basics: Absolute Towers, dubbed the "Marilyn Monroe" building because of its curvaceous design, stands out prominently among the traditional box-style buildings of the Mississauga, Canada skyline. The structures were awarded "Best Tall Building Americas" for 2012 by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, according to an AGC Glass Co. North America release. The project consists of two buildings—Tower 1, at 56 stories, and Tower 2, at 50 stories—and features 257,000 square feet of insulating glass.

The players: Owners/developers, Fernbrook Homes and Cityzen Development Group; design architect, MAD; associate architect, Burka Architects; glazing system supplier, Toro Aluminum and Commdoor Aluminum, part of The Toro Group of Companies; glass fabricator, Protemp Glass Inc., also part of The Toro Group of Companies; glass manufacturer, AGC Glass Co. North America.

The glass and systems: 257,000 square feet of insulating glass, with AGC Ti-AC low-emissivity on clear. Ti-AC achieves the desired light transmission and neutral reflectance level needed to create the visual appearance and energy efficiency, according to the release. The framing systems include: the Toro Aluminum 2000 Series Window Wall System, the Toro Railing System for balconies that wrap each floor; and Commdoor Aluminum entrances and 6000 SSG Series Curtain Wall on the ground floor and for retail storefronts.