Neha Patil (Editor)

Turning Torso

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Construction started
  
14 February 2001

Opened
  
1 November 2005

Height
  
190 m

Architectural style
  
High-tech architecture

Completed
  
27 August 2005

Inaugurated
  
27 August 2005

Floors
  
57

Architect
  
Santiago Calatrava

Type
  
Commercial office Rental apartments

Location
  
Lilla Varvsgatan 14, 211 15 Malmö, Sweden

Address
  
Lilla Varvsgatan 14, 211 15 Malmö, Sweden

Similar
  
Øresund Bridge, Sankt Petri Church - Malmö, Kungsparken - Malmö, Pildammsparken, Malmö Castle

Turning torso malm


Turning Torso is a neo-futurist residential skyscraper in Sweden and the tallest building in Scandinavia.

Contents

Located in Malmö on the Swedish side of the Öresund strait, it was built and is owned by HSB Sweden. It is regarded as the first twisted skyscraper in the world.

The project was designed by Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter Santiago Calatrava and officially opened on 27 August 2005. The tower reaches a height of 190 metres (623 ft) with 54 storeys and 147 apartments.

In August 2015, it was announced that the building was the winner of the 10 Year Award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. It won the 2005 Gold Emporis Skyscraper Award.

Inside the turning torso


Design

Turning Torso is based on a sculpture by Calatrava, called Twisting Torso, which is a white marble piece based on the form of a twisting human being. It is the first "twisting" tower.

In 1999, HSB Malmö's former managing director, Johnny Örbäck, saw the sculpture in a brochure presenting Calatrava in connection with his contribution to the architectural competition for the Öresund Bridge. It was on this occasion that Örbäck was inspired to build HSB Turning Torso. Shortly afterwards he travelled to Zurich to meet Calatrava, and ask him to design a residential building based on the idea of a structure of twisting cubes.

This is a solid immobile building constructed in nine segments of five-story pentagons that twist relative to each other as it rises; the topmost segment is twisted 90 degrees clockwise with respect to the ground floor. Each floor consists of an irregular pentagonal shape rotating around the vertical core, which is supported by an exterior steel framework. The two bottom segments are intended as office space. Segments three to nine house 147 apartments.

Construction

Construction started in the summer of 2001. One reason for building Turning Torso was to re-establish a recognizable skyline for Malmö since the removal in 2002 of the Kockums Crane, which was located less than one kilometre (0.62 mi) from Turning Torso. The local politicians deemed it important for the inhabitants to have a new symbol for Malmö in lieu of the crane that had been used for shipbuilding and somewhat symbolised the city's blue collar roots.

The construction of part of this building was featured on Discovery Channel Extreme Engineering TV programme which showed how a floor of the building was constructed.

Prior to the construction of Turning Torso, the 86-metre (282 ft) Kronprinsen had been the city's tallest building.

The apartments were initially supposed to be sold, but insufficient interest resulted in the apartments being let. The owner has several times unsuccessfully tried to sell the building. The construction costs were almost double the estimate.

Events

On 18 August 2006, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner parachuted onto the Turning Torso, and then jumped off it.

Floor 53 and 54 in the Turning Torso are conference floors booked and managed by Sky High Meetings. Since 2009 the owner HSB has decided to let the public visit floor 53/54 - only on special scheduled days and pre-booking is required.

References

Turning Torso Wikipedia