| Turning Torso | |
|---|---|
Turning Torso is the tallest building in Scandinavia |
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Residential |
| Location | Malmö, Sweden |
| Coordinates | |
| Construction started | 14 February 2001 |
| Completed | 2006 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 190 m (623 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 54 |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | NCC |
| Architect | Santiago Calatrava |
HSB Turning Torso is the tallest skyscraper in Sweden and the Nordic countries, situated in Malmö, Sweden, located on the Swedish side of the Öresund strait. Upon completion, it was the tallest building in Scandinavia, the tallest residential building in the EU and the second tallest residential building in Europe, after the 264‑metre (866 ft) Triumph Palace in Moscow. A similar, taller skyscraper featuring a 90° twist is the Infinity Tower, currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Prior to the construction of Turning Torso, the 86‑metre (282 ft) Kronprinsen had been the city's tallest building. [1]
It was designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and officially opened on 27 August 2005. The tower reaches a height of 190 metres (623 feet) with 54 stories.[2]
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The vision of HSB Turning Torso is based on a sculpture called Twisting Torso. The sculpture is a white marble piece based on the form of a twisting human being, created by Santiago Calatrava, a trained sculptor, architect and engineer.
In 1999, HSB Malmö’s former Managing Director, Johnny Örbäck, saw the sculpture in a brochure which presented Calatrava in connection with his contribution to the architectural competition for the Öresund Bridge. It was on this occasion that Johnny Örbäck got the idea to build HSB Turning Torso. Shortly thereafter he traveled to Zurich to meet with Calatrava and ask him to design a residential building based on the idea of a structure of twisting cubes.[3]
Construction started in the summer of 2001. One reason for the building of Turning Torso was to re-establish a recognizable skyline for Malmö since the removal of the Kockums Crane in 2002, which was located less than a kilometre from Turning Torso. The local politicians deemed it important for the inhabitants to have a symbol for Malmö — after Kockumskranen, which was a large crane that had been used for shipbuilding and somewhat symbolized the city's blue collar roots.[3]
The building is constructed in nine segments of five-story pentagons that twist as it rises; the topmost segment is twisted ninety 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 luxury apartments.
The construction of part of this building was featured on Discovery channel's 'Extreme Engineering' TV programme which showed how a floor of the building was constructed. McCon also helped along with KD Engineering.
On 18 August 2006, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner parachuted onto the Turning Torso, and then jumped off it.[4]
Since 2009, it is possible for general public to visit the top of the building. This is only allowed during a few summer weeks, and with pre-booking only, limited number of tickets. As Turning Torso is a private residential building, public access is otherwise avoided.[1]
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Taipei 101 (Taipei, Taiwan) |
Emporis Skyscraper Award (Gold) 2005 |
Succeeded by Hearst Tower (New York City, USA) |