Canadas curvy Marilyn Monroe among award-winning skyscrapers

Andrew Stern, Reuters Jun 13, 2012 3:46 PM ET | Last Updated: Jun 13, 2012 3:47 PM ET

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An artist's rendering of the soon-to-be completed Absolute Towers, a 56-storey residential project in Mississauga, Ont., dubbed the "Marilyn Monroe" after the deceased actress's physique, was named among the best new buildings in the world.

A pair of curvaceous Canadian towers dubbed the Marilyn Monroe, an Australian skyscraper that breathes, an Italian building that evokes Milans Galleria, and a cylindrical tower in Qatar whose skin evokes Islamic decoration were named on Wednesday the best new tall buildings in the world.

The Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, a group of architects and structural engineers that monitors tall building projects around the world, said there had been a renaissance in skyscraper development. A record 88 towers taller than 200 meters (656 feet) were completed in 2011 compared to 32 such projects in 2005.

Another 96 tall buildings are projected to be completed this year, with China the leading builder.

This years winners of the groups Best Tall Buildings display remarkable creativity, as well as a respect for the environment, connection with place, and the urban surroundings, said architect Richard Cook, who chaired an awards committee that chose among 78 entries.

The soon-to-be completed Absolute Towers, a 56-storey residential project in Mississauga, a fast-growing suburb of Toronto, has been dubbed the Marilyn Monroe after the late actress legendary curves. We see t! he entir e building twisting to achieve the organic form, creating a beautiful new landmark for a developing urban area, engineer David Scott said in a statement.

In Sydney, Australia, a 28-storey elliptical tower offers tenants a breath of nature amid boxy skyscrapers with its ventilated skylit atrium, a ventilated glass facade, and a green roof.

Italys entry, the 40-storey Palazzo Lombardia in Milan, echoes the citys famous Galleria with a central piazza covered by a curved glass roof and rotating blades that provide shade. More than simply a tower, the project creates a cohesive blend of parks and commercial space, with an appropriately local flair, Antony Wood of the Council said.

The multi-layered patterns adorning the facade of the 46-storey Doha Tower in Qatar evoke Islamic screens designed for shade. It also provides a fantastic pattern of light within the building, Cook said. In addition, the cylindrical building has no central core, maximizing the interior space.

The 29-storey Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was given an innovation award for its dynamic facade that rotates in response to the movement of the sun. It is a reinterpretation of a wooden lattice screen found in Islamic architecture.

Chicago-based architect Helmut Jahn was given a lifetime achievement award by the group for a fantastic legacy of tall buildings embracing environmental themes.