Turning Torso

Welcome to Västra Hamnen, the Western Harbour, and direct your gaze upward to the undisputed sovereign of the Malmö skyline: the Turning Torso. Designed by the visionary Spanish architect, structural engineer, and sculptor…

To truly understand the Turning Torso, we must begin not with architectural blueprints, but with a piece of white marble. Santiago Calatrava is as much a sculptor as he is an architect. …

Shift your focus to the structural engineering that keeps this twisting giant upright, particularly against the punishing, gale-force winds that whip off the Øresund strait. The primary load-bearing element is hidden from view: a…

Let us analyze the skin of the building. The facade of the Turning Torso is an incredibly complex surface. …

Direct your attention down to where this massive structure meets the earth. A common critique of modernist skyscrapers is that they crash into the ground aggressively, creating hostile, wind-swept plazas. …

It is impossible to fully appreciate the Turning Torso without understanding its immediate neighborhood: Västra Hamnen. Step slightly away from the base and look at the surrounding residential buildings. …

Finally, let us turn our backs to the Torso and look out toward the water. We are standing on the edge of the Øresund strait, the vital body of water separating Sweden from Denmark. …

As we conclude our architectural tour of the Turning Torso, take one last, sweeping look from its dark granite base to its dizzying, twisting summit. We have dissected its sculptural origins, marveled at the muscular steel…