Turning Torso

HSB Turning Torso is a Gratte-ciel located at Malmö in Sweden, at the edge of the strait of the Øresund and just opposite Copenhagen, the capital of the Denmark. It was conceived by Santiago Calatrava Valls and was inaugurated the August 27th 2005. It is the second higher tower of dwelling of Europe, and the most building of Scandinavia.

The tower is 190 meters high and comprises 54 stages. It was drawn according to a sculpture of the same architect called Twisting Torso . It is made up of nine cubes of six stages each one, which rotate while rising; thus the most segment is shifted of 90 degrees in the direction of the needles of a watch compared to the ground. Each stage consists of a section retangulaire around the central “heart”, and a triangular section partially supported by an external metal scaffolding. The two cubes low are intended to be offices, in the following are envisaged apartments, approximately 150 on the whole.

It is Johnny Örbäck, director of the branch of Malmö of the real estate company HSB, which contacted Santiago Calatrava after having seen the sculpture in 1999, to require of him to design a skyscraper on the same principle. Construction began during the summer 2001.

One of the reasons of the construction of Turning Torso is the will to restore a recognizable profile for Malmö, since the demolition in 2002 of the Kockumskranen (“the crane of Kockum”), an enormous wrecking crane which was located not far from the current site of the tower. The town councilors considered to be important for the inhabitants to have a symbol for Malmö, the crane Kockumskranen which was used for shipyards symbolized to some extent the working past of the city. Turning Torso can be seen like the monument of Malmö news and more international.

Turning Torso gained with Cannes in 2005 the price MIPIM of the best residential building, in front of No.1 West India Quay with London and Espirito Santo Plaza with Miami.

External bonds

  • Official site of Turning Torso (sv, in)
  • PERISHED - sculpture with the work

Random links:Fuerzas armadas de arma de la Federación Rusa | Smoothness (aerodynamic) | Adhocratie | SubSeven | Lestrade (Aveyron) | János Martonyi | Herne,_Belgique