When the Turning Torso opened in 2005, it claimed the crown of tallest building in Malmö by more than doubling the height of its nearest rival. Yet the building's height is far from its most notable feature. The twisting design has gone on to inspire a whole new style of architecture.
Keen architects hoping to visit the building may be disappointed though. While it's a spectacular sight up-close, entering the building is only possible by prior arrangement. That's because while the building is undeniably a tourist draw, its primary use is for residential apartments.
The remarkable building only exists because of the nearby Öresund Bridge, another iconic piece of Scandinavian architecture that links Sweden with Denmark.
Inspired by a human sculpture
Back in 1999, Johnny Örbäck worked as managing director of Swedish social housing cooperative HSB. While reviewing material related to the architectural competition for the bridge, he saw a white marble human sculpture named 'Twisting Torso' by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Örbäck loved the concept so much he asked Calatrava to design a building based on the sculpture's concept.
The construction—plagued by budget overruns, winds of up to 45 mph and subzero temperatures—was profiled in an episode of Discovery's Extreme Engineering.
The result—nine stacked pentagons that twist relative to each other—was the world's first twisting tower. Since then, the pioneering structure has inspired ever taller and more twisted skyscrapers across the world.
In recognition of its impact both locally and globally, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) awarded the Turning Tower its 10 Year Award in 2015. At the time, CTBUH trustee Vincent Tse called the building "iconic, astonishing, and inspirational."
The Turning Torso in numbers
At 190 metres (623 feet) tall and 54 storeys high, the Turning Torso became the tallest building not just in Malmö but all of Scandinavia upon its 2005 opening. The building twists through 90-degrees from base to tip.
An enormous concrete pipe with an inner diameter of 34.5 ft serves as the building's core, home to staircases and elevators. Structural slabs are fitted around the core, each rotated by 1.6 degrees compared with its neighbors.
The building's striking exterior consists of 2,313 curved panels and 2,368 windows. Although the windows themselves are flat, each one leans either inwards of outwards to follow the curvature of the panels.
The Turning Torso is home to 148 apartments, ranging from compact studios to family-sized penthouses. Managed by HSB, apartment tenants also have access to a gym with sauna and hot tub, a laundry and a couple of floors dedicated to private events.
While the Turning Torso is usually off limits to visitors, HSB plans to open the tower for guided tours on selected days during the summer of 2022.
