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Turning Torso. Photo by Karl Hörnfeldt.

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Turning Torso

Turning Torso is not just Sweden’s tallest building; it’s the tallest building in the Nordic countries, and Malmö’s award-winning Turning Torso, the first in a wave of “twisting” buildings, has quite the backstory. It was also the tallest residential building in the European Union and the second tallest in Europe overall when it opened in August 2005.

Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor, and painter, designed it, and it officially opened on August 27, 2005. It has 54 stories and 147 apartments, and stands 190 meters (620 feet) tall. Turning Torso received the Gold Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2005, as well as the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s 10-Year Award in 2015.

Prior to the construction of the magnificent new skyscraper, the tallest building in Malmö was a building in the “Kronprinsen” residential area. This structure is only 86 meters (282 feet) tall. In Malmö, a new skyscraper called “The Point” or “Point Hyllie” is being built. It will stand 110 meters (360 feet) tall, which is still 80 meters (262 feet) shorter than the Turning Torso.

1. A renowned Spanish architect and artist created Turning Torso

Santiago Calatrava. Photo by Forgemind ArchiMedia.

Santiago Calatrava, a well-known Spanish architect, designed the tower. One of the most noticeable aspects of his work is that the majority of his designs resemble living organisms.

While his most notable works include bridges supported by a single Pylon, his most notable buildings include the Olympic Sports Complex of Athens, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, and the World Trade Center Hub in New York City.

2. The concept was inspired by one of the architect’s sculptures

Turning Torso by night. Photo by bjaglin.

The structure was commissioned by HSB, a Swedish cooperative association that specializes in housing in Sweden. One of the most fascinating aspects of the Turning Torso is how it was created.

When the resund Bridge was being planned in the late 1990s, Santiago Calatrava entered a design competition to determine the bridge’s design. The HSB director at the time, Johnny rbäck, saw one of Calatrava’s sculptures in a brochure related to his competition submission.

“Twisting Torso” is a white marble sculpture that resembles a twisting human body. rbäck was so taken with the design that he scheduled a meeting with Calatrava to discuss a similar structure, and the rest is history!

3. It was built and is owned by the Swedish cooperative association HSB

Turning Torso is located in Malmö on the Swedish side of the resund strait. It is regarded as the world’s first twisted skyscraper. Since 2009, the owner, HSB, has allowed the public to visit these floors, but only on special scheduled days, and reservations are required.

4. It was built to establish a new skyline for the city

Turning Torso. Photo by Ralf Roletschek.

One reason for constructing Turning Torso was to restore Malmö’s recognizable skyline after the removal of the Kockums Crane in 2002. Local politicians were eager to redevelop the city’s former industrial stronghold in the city’s west, with the goal of making the decaying area a symbol of urban renewal, complete with homes, businesses, culture, and entertainment. They desired something powerful that would have a global impact, not just in the region.

5. The top floor has a 90-degree twist

If you look closely at the structure, you’ll notice that it’s made up of 9 pentagon-shaped blocks that have been stacked on top of each other. This made it easier to create the twisting design that distinguished the skyscraper at the time.

The top floor of the Turning Torso is rotated clockwise at a 90-degree angle to the first floor, which is one of the most amazing facts about it.

6. The Turning Torso has both offices and apartments

Turning Torso by night. Photo by bjaglin.

The skyscraper is made up of asymmetrical shapes and is divided into nine segments of five-story pentagons that rotate 90 degrees as the height increases. The units are linked by a steel exoskeleton, which reaches 190 meters and 57 stories in height.

The first six segments of the Turning Torso contain offices, while the following six segments contain 147 luxury flats outfitted with the finest amenities. There are one to five apartments on each floor.

7. Its construction took four and a half years to complete

Building this magnificent skyscraper was a massive undertaking simply because a twisting skyscraper had never been built before at the time. The first stone of the building was laid on February 14, 2001, and it would not be completed until August 27, 2005, more than four and a half years after construction began.

The building was inaugurated on the day it was finished and officially opened on November 1, 2005.

8. The energy used by Turning Torso is entirely renewable

Turning Torso is also known for its innovative sustainable design and execution of sustainable industry standards. The building’s energy consumption is entirely renewable, coming from hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal sources. Residents can make informed decisions about their energy consumption thanks to the installation of electricity consumption meters in each unit, which also includes an organic waste disposal unit that converts all waste material into energy.

9. Several skyscrapers have followed in the footsteps of the Turning Torso

Turning Torso. Photo by Karl Hörnfeldt.

The skyscraper’s mind-blowing design did not go unnoticed, and numerous other famous skyscrapers drew inspiration from this revolutionary structure. The Shanghai Tower in China, the Lakhta Center in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and the Evolution Tower in Moscow, Russia are among the most recent twisting skyscrapers.

10. An Austrian skydiver jumped off Turning Torso

Someone skydives. Photo by Eun-Kwang Bae.

Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian skydiver, parachuted onto the Turning Torso and then jumped off it on August 18, 2006. The public observation deck is located on floor 49, while floors 50-52 house a private club, meeting events, the reception, and the venue restaurant. Sky High Meetings books and manages conference floors 53 and 54 in the Turning Torso. 

While the concept was brilliant, it did not result in the tower becoming a huge moneymaker for HSB. In fact, the construction cost nearly twice what was anticipated during the planning phase. This, combined with the fact that the apartments did not sell as quickly as expected. It resulted in the owner attempting to sell the building multiple times, each time failing.