Justinne P.

Nazareno
BS Architecture 5-1

Architectural Structures
Engr. Larry Rocela

Turning Torso
Turning Torso is a high-rise building in
Malm, consisting of nine cubes twisting
towards the waterfront. Turning Torso
houses top-quality apartments, offices and
conference rooms and, at the time of
completion (27 August 2005), is the
second tallest residential tower in Europe
after the 264m-high Triumph-Palace in
Moscow andthe tallest building in
Scandinavia.
Designed by Santiago Calatrava, Turning
Torso received plenty of critical acclaim,
winning the award for Best Internatio na l
Residential Development at the 2005
Mipim real estate forum, fighting off
competition from No 1 West India Quay in
London and Miami's Espirito Santo Plaza.
Like those developments, Torso is situated
near water, in this case the New Western
Harbour in Malm in south west Sweden.
It is also within walking distance of both
Ribersborg beach and the city centre, notably the university and business districts.
As Malm evolves from its industrial past, local authorities envisage that Western Harbour will
provide homes for employees from new sectors that have come to the city: small and mediumsized businesses, services, trading companies and a burgeoning IT sector. The project is an
important part of the redevelopment of Malm's Western Harbour near the resund Bridge, which
connects Sweden and Denmark.

Justinne P. Nazareno
BS Architecture 5-1

Architectural Structures
Engr. Larry Rocela

FACTS:
Building: Mixed Use
Height: 190m (623ft)
Floor Count:

54

Construction Started: Feb. 14, 2001

Completed: August 27, 2005
1st and 2nd Cubes: Commercial Space
3rd-9th cubes: Residential Space
Cost: 235 Million US $
Structure:
9 cubes of 5 floors each
Total Number of Floors: 57
Basement: 2
Height: 190.4 m
-Each cube: 10 degrees
-Each floor: 1.6 degrees
Materials:
Concrete core shear walls
Concrete Slabs
Steel Spine

Justinne P. Nazareno
BS Architecture 5-1

Architectural Structures
Engr. Larry Rocela

ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT
Designed to look like a turning human body
Nine Vertically stacked cubes twisted 90 degrees
from bottom to top
The steel spine twists along with the structure similar
to spine and the ribs of the human body.

STRUCTURAL CONCEPT
1.
2.
3.
4.

Concrete floor slab. One foot thick. Cantilevered from the core
Concrete tube core. Radium: 10.6m
Concrete perimeter column
Steel spine pin connected

Justinne P. Nazareno
BS Architecture 5-1

Architectural Structures
Engr. Larry Rocela

Justinne P. Nazareno
BS Architecture 5-1

Architectural Structures
Engr. Larry Rocela

Torso Tower design

The Torso was selected by the City of Malm Government as a landmark for the new development,
though it also meets the requirement for dense habitation. Local authorities organised an exhibitio n
to choose a high-rise building for this purpose and invited the local housing cooperative, HSB, to
participate.
"The project is an important part of the redevelopment of Malm's Western Harbour."
"Only well-known architects were supposed to participate in the exhibition," explains HSB project
director Ingvar Nohlin, "and that's why Santiago Calatrava was approached. He had participated
in the Oresund Link competition but was not selected."
In fact, this 190m (623ft) tower is based on a sculpture by the Zurich-based architect. Sharing the
name of its much larger brother, Turning Torso depicts a human body contorting around its spine
in an upward movement.
Calatrava included a photograph of the work as part of his Oresund submission, where it was
spotted by HSB's former managing director, Johnny Orback, who convinced Calatrava to design
a building based on this concept.
Twisting spine
The work consists of nine cubes of white marble tied together by a spine that twists 90 from top
to bottom. Likewise, the 54-storey building is made up of nine cubes that twist towards the city's
waterfront. As walls swirl and cut back to the building's core, the building seems to rest on its
vertical supports.
However, all is not as it seems; each floor consists of a square section around the core and a
triangular part supported by an external steel structure. The central core is supported by a
foundation slab, while at the corner of each floor is a concrete column supported by a pile
foundation. Torsos central core is 10.6m across its inside, with walls 2.5m thick on the ground
floor but only 0.4m at the highest level.
This core is stiffened by the Torso's exoskeleton, which is effectively a steel truss erected on the
outside of the building with the same clockwise rotation as the tower itself. The truss consists of a
spine column at the corner of each floor plus horizontal and diagonal elements that reach to each
side of the glazed spine. Stabilisers also connect the floor slabs with the framework.
Wind loads
While the building's core can carry wind loads without the exoskeleton, the truss is active in some
wind directions, thus reducing displacement of the tower itself. Having made wind tunnel tests at
the University of Western Ontario, Canada, designers predict that in a storm with a wind force of
44m/s the building would move only 30cm at its summit in a slow movement.
"This slight movement is unlikely to be noticeable," says Nohlin. Yet, despite its tricky geometry,
wind at the coastal site has been the contractors' biggest gripe. Gusts have caused delays of 150

Justinne P. Nazareno
BS Architecture 5-1

Architectural Structures
Engr. Larry Rocela

days in both concrete work and erection of the steel exoskeleton. "Malm is an extremely windy
place, especially during winter time," he adds.
For the horizontal structure, there are nine conical slabs, one for each cube, in which half of the
circumference of each slab cantilevers from the core. The remaining triangular section is supported
by the apex column and central core. In each cube, five higher slabs are supported by eleven steel
columns at their edges that transfer loads into the conical slab below.
The building is lit externally using Golden Dragon LEDs from Osram and a custom-made fixture
from the Danish lighting manufacturer Louis Poulsen Lighting. Internally ligthing is again
provided by Osram LED lighitng and is controlled using motion sensors. LEDs offer a more
environmentally fiendly approach by using less power and not requiring to be replaced like normal
light bulbs or fluorescent tubes.
Office and residential space
Torso's 26,000m ground plan includes 4,200m of office space on floors 212, the first two cubes.
The commercial area has its own pair of lifts, as well as separate heating, cooling and IT systems.
The development's top two floors have been reserved for meeting rooms, which can be rented by
any organisation via HSB (these were officially ready for hire at the end of March 2006). A
separate parking block for residents and business tenants can be accessed via a private tunnel.
Above the office space are 147 rental apartments on floors 1452 ranging from one-bedroom,
45m units to 190m residences. Very few are of equal dimensions because the floor space changes
due to the size of the core walls, so the ground floor has 370m of usable space, while the top floor
has 430m.
Three high-speed lifts in the core of the building service these apartments. They travel at 5m per
second, so it only takes 38 seconds to get from ground level to the 54th floor. In addition, there is
a staircase from ground level to the top floor.
Apartment interiors
Torsos apartments are furnished to a high specification. Entrance halls feature polished limesto ne
floors, using materials from the Jamtland region of north Sweden. The same stone is also used on
window sills. Other rooms boast oak floors. Tiled bathrooms are fitted with granite surfaces and
underfloor heating.
Kitchen units are specially designed from light-stained oak or a glossy white laminate to
accompany appliances from Gaggenau and Bosch washing machines. Apartment doors and
wardrobes are made of white-stained oak.
Residents of the 13,500m complex also enjoy the benefits of a manned reception, full access to
the wine cellar, rooms with panoramic views on the 49th floor, well-appointed guest rooms and a
gym with two saunas on the 43rd floor, and a function suite on the 7th floor.
The 1st floor also contains eight office modules that can be rented by residents. An intranet
supplies them with information about the building, available services, community activities and

Justinne P. Nazareno
BS Architecture 5-1

Architectural Structures
Engr. Larry Rocela

the surrounding area. Furniture and interior desing on the top two floors was the responsibility of
White Architects.
Construction
To maintain a fast building rate, HSB relied on the Automatic Climbing Structure (ACS), which
uses jacks to elevate the building platform to the next level. Devised by German formwork and
scaffolding manufacturer Peri, ACS handled heights of up to 4m, so all the floors were constructed
without any need for adjustment.
"For heating, Torso connects to power utility Sydkraft's system."
Anchored on 12 fixing points, ACS weighs 110t, with a concrete boom installed on its own
climbing scaffold that uses four fixing points in the core. This allowed workers to concrete the ring
wall on one level while retightening internal core walls one level below.
A Putzmeister device on the ground floor pumps concrete to the ever-rising construction site at
1t/s.
Other companies involved in the construction of the tower included HSB Malm Ek Fr, NCC
AB, Promecon, Sweco AB, Nicholas Green & Anthony Hunt, Samark Arkitektur & Design AB,
Dr. Vollenweider AG, Mtcenter AB, LGG Inneklimat AB, YIT Building Systems AS, Aarsleff
Bygg & Anlggning AB, Grupo Folcr Edificacin S.A., Peab AB, Intergrund AB, AB
Rrlggaren, resund Safety Advisers AB, Mobergs Mekaniska AB, KONE AB, AESA
Eurogondolas, S.L., PERIform SVERIGE AB, and Emesa-Trefileria, S.A.
Environment and safety
Sweden has perhaps the most far-reaching environmental legislation in Europe, along with a
comprehensive welfare system, so it is no surprise that central services are a high priority. Indeed,
Western Harbour is being promoted as a global leader in urban sustainability. For heating, Torso
connects to power utility Sydkraft's system, which uses 100% locally renewable energy. This is
obtained from a variety of sources, including solar power, wind, bedrock and water.
Torso plays its part, with organic waste from the building ground down in kitchen waste disposal
units, then transported though separate pipes for decomposition and biogas production at Malm's
waste incinerator and heat plant. In addition, Torso residents will be given training in such systems
via a local TV system.
As for safety, all security systems have independent reserve power supplies, including lifts,
sprinklers and emergency lighting. There is also a double water supply system, again with its own
power supply