Turning Torso, Malmo, Sweden

The only building that likes yoga.Height: 190 meters

Cost to build: US$80 million

Completion date: 2005

Fast fact: Tourists are not allowed in the building because it houses apartments and offices.
Designer Santiago Calatrava wanted to recreate the natural movements of animals and humans in this building.

By crossing the boundaries of strict geometry and modern technologies in architecture, he came up with a masterpiece that has more than a twist in its tail. 

The spine-like skyscraper turns a full 90 degrees from top to bottom. In order to follow the rotation, the windows are leaning either inwards or outward zero to seven degrees.

No other skyscraper has achieved anything as extreme.

In line with Sweden’s low-emission promise, this tallest residential building in the country is also supplied with 100 percent locally produced renewable energy -- a true symbol of modern Sweden.

Overall structure

In 1999, Santiago Calatrava was invited to design a mixed-use residential tower for a prominent site in Malmö's Western Harbor area, with the plans to be exhibited in the European Housing Expo 2001 (Bo01). The project was envisioned as an important part of the transformation of Malmö's Western Harbor near the Öresund Bridge, which connects Sweden and Denmark. Once a decaying industrial area, the Western Harbor is rapidly becoming a mixed-use residential district and today features housing, restaurants, shops and businesses, a marina, and Malmö University.