Turning Torso

Why go

Turning Torso gives Malmö’s former industrial waterfront a striking new vertical landmark. Walk around the tower to see how its stacked sections rotate as they rise, then compare it with the lower buildings and open shore nearby. Its residential use makes the public-space view the reliable visit.

What to look for

• The stacked sections turn progressively up the tower.
• The twisting facade changes shape as you walk around it.
• The tower rises above the lower waterfront buildings of Västra Hamnen.

The full story

Santiago Calatrava developed Turning Torso from his sculpture of a twisting human form. The residential tower opened in 2005, with nine stacked sections that rotate relative to one another as they rise. Seen from different points in Västra Hamnen, that rotation makes a fixed building seem to move. The project also belongs to a larger change in Malmö’s skyline: the former Kockums crane, tied to the waterfront’s shipbuilding past, had been removed only a few years earlier. Turning Torso became the most visible marker of the area’s shift toward housing and public waterfront space. Its appearance invites a walk around the exterior; the upper floors are part of a residential building and are reached only when specific visits are offered.

Useful to know

• View the tower from public streets while exploring Västra Hamnen.
• Check HSB’s announcements if you want a top-floor event; entry is not available on arrival.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.