We love all buildings – whether they’re tall skyscrapers or they push the limits of design, we love ’em all. Now, imagine a beautiful building, only duplicated. That’s exactly what twin towers are – two beautiful buildings side by side! This week on the blog we take a look at some of the world’s most beautiful pairs of buildings.
Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Twin Towers (Malaysia)
The tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004, the Petronas Twin Towers continue to be a major landmark in Kuala Lumpur. Designed by Argentine American architect César Pelli, the planning for the twin towers began more than 2 decades ago in 1992 with construction lasting seven years. The towers were meant to bring modernity to the city as they approached the new millennium, but there are beautiful motifs inside the building that reflect the rich Islamic heritage of the country. The towers are more than just a pretty face – according to the website, they’re “intelligent structures” with a system that allows seamless coordination between both buildings controlling the power, security or telecommunications.
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Hotel (Dubai)
We already know that extravagance is the norm in Dubai – we’ve talked about it quite a bit on the blog! That’s why it should come as no surprise hat the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Hotel is the tallest hotel in the world at 72-storeys and 355 metres tall. The first tower (finished in 2012) is comprised of dozens of food outlets, a rooftop bar, a banquet hall, and great fitness amenities. The second tower was completed last year, making it another successful year for the completion of buildings 200m or more in height in the UAE. It was originally meant to be just the one tower, but due to another construction project, the location and design had to be altered. The new project was launched in 2006 and the doors to the second tower opened just last year. It makes a great addition to the Dubai skyline, so it was well worth the wait!
Mississauga’s Absolute Towers (Canada)
In 2006, the mayor of Mississauga announced that there would be an international design competition for the design of the fourth tower for Absolute World which would be seen as a landmark for the city for years to come. Over 600 submissions from architects all around the world were received. The winning design (selected from 6 finalists) was chosen by the general public as well as the judging panel. The winner was Yansong Ma, an architect from China. Soon after, the towers were nicknamed the Marilyn Monroe towers because of their curvy, almost hour-glass shape. Not too long ago, the pair of residential towers were also awarded the prize of Best Tall Buildings in the Americas.
Bahrain World Trade Centre (Bahrain)
Another pair of beautiful buildings, the Bahrain World Trade Centre (BWTC) towers were built in 2008, and they are the first skyscrapers in the world to integrate wind turbines into the design. These towers are not as tall as their twin counterparts, but that doesn’t work against them – the BTWC has received several awards for sustainability, including the 2006 LEAF Award for Best Use of Technology within a Large Scheme. The towers are linked together via three sky bridges that are all at different levels of the building, and each hold a wind turbine.
And last but not least, our own Emerald Park (Toronto)
What’s a list of twin towers without tooting our own horn a little bit? Emerald Park is going to be a beautiful addition to the Yonge and Sheppard neighbourhood and will definitely be easy on the eyes. We’re not yet done but progress is coming along nicely on these green-windowed twins.