Turning Torso Skyscraper in Malmö, Sweden

The Turning Torso rises above the Western Harbour (Västra Hamnen) district of Malmö, on the Swedish side of the Öresund strait in southern Sweden. The Western Harbour is within easy walking distance of central Malmö and can also be reached by city bus or bicycle, with the redeveloped waterfront promenade and nearby Ribersborg beach making the approach a pleasant one. Malmö itself is very easy to reach from Copenhagen: the train across the Öresund Bridge takes only about 35 minutes, so many visitors see the tower as part of a day trip from Denmark.

History and Design

The skyscraper was designed by the Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava and officially opened in 2005, based on one of his own sculptures, “Twisting Torso,” which depicts the form of a twisting human body. It stands 190 metres tall across 54 storeys, built as nine cube-shaped segments of five floors each that rotate around a central core, so that the top is turned a full 90 degrees from the base. Commissioned by the Swedish housing cooperative HSB, it contains 147 apartments along with office and conference space, and it was the tallest building in the Nordic region until 2022, when it was overtaken by Karlatornet in Gothenburg. It is widely regarded as one of the world’s first twisting skyscrapers and helped reposition Malmö as a city of modern design.

Visiting the Turning Torso

It is important to know that the Turning Torso is primarily a residential and office building and is generally not open to the public. There is an observation deck on the 49th floor, but access is restricted and not freely available; during the summer the upper floors occasionally open to paying visitors, and guided tours can sometimes be arranged for groups. For most travellers, the best way to experience it is from the outside, admiring its sculptural form from the harbour, the waterfront promenade, or Ribersborg beach, where it makes a dramatic photographic subject, especially at sunset. The surrounding Western Harbour, with its cafés, marina, and sea views toward Copenhagen, is well worth a stroll in its own right.