The Turning Torso in Malmø
If you cross the Øresund between Denmark and Sweden from west to east, it is impossible to miss it in the flat coastal landscape of Schonen: standing almost 200 metres tall, it winds itself up into the southern Swedish sky – the “Turning Torso” on the outskirts of Malmø is currently Europe’s tallest apartment building.
The highly visible skyscraper, which was completed in 2005, is a local landmark. This is not only down to its dizzying height, but above all because of its extraordinary and spectacular architecture which bears the signature of Santiago Calatrava, the world-famous Spanish architect.
In this building in the West Harbour district of Malmø, the typically round or angular forms of high-rise buildings of this size are absent. Instead, the 54 storeys of the building wind themselves up around its own axis. The structure consists of nine slender cubes of five storeys each, stacked one above the other, with an external steel structure or “spine” weighing 820 tons supporting the building. Calatrava twists his tower from the reception hall up to the conference centre at the top by 90 degrees. The gyrating structure is reminiscent of an athlete’s body twisting upwards during a jump. The tower is captivating with its amazing sense of lightness and graceful elegance. It is therefore no surprise that the Museum of Modern Art in New York featured the residential structure among the 25 most exciting high-rises in the world.
The interior of the structure is no less impressive. Above all, the exterior walls of the inclined façade, tilted up to 7 degrees, and the curved walls at the central axis impart a special character to the interior architecture, which is far removed from the traditional cubic space. The exclusive interiors designed by Samark Architecture and Design AB ensure that living is special in the 147 apartments, which range in size from 45 to 190 square meters. In the bathroom and kitchen the fittings from the Axor Starck collection, designed by the French star designer Philippe Starck, immediately catch the eye.
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