Turning Torso

Santiago Calatrava's tower went up between 2001 and 2005 on the site of the Kockums shipyard, whose crane had been the landmark before it and was sold to Korea in 2002. The design comes from a sculpture of a twisting human spine: nine five-storey cubes stacked around a core, each turned slightly, so the top face sits ninety degrees round from the bottom one, held by an exposed steel spine on the outside. At about 190 metres it was the tallest building in the Nordics until Karlatornet in Gothenburg passed it. It is flats and offices, so there is no public access - you look at it from the harbour promenade, and the walk along the Ribersborg shore gives the best angles.

Highlights

• Nine cubes rotating ninety degrees - base to top.
• An exposed steel spine - carrying the twist on the outside.
• About 190 metres - the tallest in the Nordics until Karlatornet.
• The Western Harbour around it - built on the old shipyard.

When to go

Year round; late light is best on the west face. Half an hour.

What to expect

There is no observation deck and no public entry at all. The building reads best from a distance. The Western Harbour is exposed and windy. Photographs from the base are unflattering.

Nearby

Ribersborg beach is west; central Malmo is south.

Key facts