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For this year’s Mississauga People’s Choice Awards, the city west of Toronto changed things up a bit, honouring Award of Excellence winners from the last 35 years. From May through September, residents voted online for their favourite places. Top picks included public gathering sites like Celebration Square and the Meadowvale Community Centre, to the unmistakable ‘Marilyn’ condo tower. “Over the years, we have built out a distinctive skyline in Mississauga,” said Mayor Crombie. “We know that great urban design is vital in our city-building efforts and is an important factor in fostering an exceptional quality of life. These well-known Mississauga landmarks have helped to create our vibrant and thriving city. Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s voting and congratulations to all of the winners.”
Nominees were divided into Public and Private Project categories. The winning Public Projects are:
Meadowvale Community Centre and Library (2018)
Perkins+Will, Fleisher Ridout Partnership Inc.
Nestled into a sloping site, the Meadowvale Community Centre and Library overlooks Lake Aquitaine and the surrounding parklands. Envisioned as a ‘‘next generation’ facility, it was carefully designed around concepts of inclusivity, sustainability and design excellence. Program elements include a library, aquatics, fitness, multipurpose rooms, and various outdoor and indoor amenities and gathering spaces to serve the community’s growing and increasingly diverse population. The LEED Silver facility features colourful brise-soleil shades, bioswales, and extensive green roofs.
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Mississauga Celebration Square (2011)
CS&P Architect Inc., Janet Rosenberg + Associates
The consolidation of Mississauga’s Civic and Library Squares resulted in a coherent, welcoming, accessible space that works at both community and city-wide scales. The 2.4-hectare site comprises a major outdoor sound stage and video screens, multi-purpose pavilion, skating rinks, fountain, and a flexible open lawn. Celebration Square revitalized a suburban downtown and supports a variety of events and community gatherings for Mississauga's diverse population.
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Mississauga Central Library and Civic Square Extension (1991)
Shore Tilbe Irwin & Partners, Fleisher Ridout Partnership Inc.
Together, the Civic Centre, Central Library, and Celebration Square create a vital landmark in Mississauga’s core downtown area. The Library's architecture has at once a commanding and inviting presence. This most important civic institution makes a remarkable contribution to Celebration Square and the three surrounding streets, in addition to creating an urban place that encourages pedestrian traffic.
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Top selections in the Private Projects category are:
Absolute World – 'Marilyn' Tower (Phase IV) (2012)
MAD Architects, Burka Architects, Inc., NAK Design Group
Cityzen Development Group and Fernbook Homes
Fondly dubbed the 'Marilyn' tower, the fourth (and tallest) of Absolute World’s five tower complex has earned its place as a significant landmark and centrepiece in Downtown Mississauga. The 56-storey condominium’s sculptural twists and dynamic form have a remarkable ability to reflect light and articulate its striking silhouette at distances near and far. Continuous balconies wrap the building’s sinuous form, affording the units panoramic views. The open forecourt includes public art, as well as hard and soft landscaping.
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Applewood Landmark (1981)
D. Allan Ross and Julian Gaspar
Shipp Corporation
Situated at the intersection of Bloor Street and Dixie Road, the Applewood Landmark is a recognizable skyline reference to traffic progressing westward through the city. The 26-storey residential building, with its trillium-shaped floor plan, provides 300 units with a large variety of layouts and exposures, and includes a generous amount of indoor as well as outdoor fitness facilities and entertainment features.
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Xerox Research Centre (1984)
Shore Tilbe Henschel Irwin Peters, Architects, Engineers Moorhead Fleming Corban McCarthy
Canada’s leading materials research centre’s futuristic exterior is a nod to the pioneering work carried out inside. Built in 1984, the state-of-the-art facility reinforces the company's public image of innovation and creativity. Located in Mississauga’s Sheridan community node just north of Queen Elizabeth Way, the building is ingeniously situated among landscaped berms and terraced water features.
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“These projects are great examples of how urban design–buildings and the areas around them–can work together to make quality spaces for people to enjoy,” said Andrew Whittemore, Commissioner of Planning and Building. “As we continue to plan and develop the city, it is important for us to highlight this level of excellence as a standard of what we hope to achieve. I commend everyone who was involved in these winning projects and all those who participated in the online voting.”
The Mississauga Urban Design Awards program is the longest-running awards program of its kind in Ontario. It illustrates the City’s commitment to excellence and innovation in urban design with an ongoing desire to inspire, develop and celebrate design leaders who help raise the quality of life for its residents and shape the image of the City. The City will issue the call for 2021 submissions later this fall.
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