Built Expressions Bangalore :: HSB Turning Torso, Malmo, Sweden

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HSB Turning Torso, Malmo, Sweden

Act of Twirl Movement of Turning Torso

Malmo, third largest city in Sweden known for its popular industrialization center among the Scandinavia countries also stands unique for its artistic buildings. Turning Torso stands 190mt tall having 54 floors linked by stairs case and elevators. It was the second tallest residential tower in Europe and had won Best International Residential Development building in the 2005.

The building is situated at New Western Harbor in south west of Malmo. It is a city centric building bounded by Ribersborg beach, university and business centers. The Blue (located near to a water place) is one of the added attractions to the building.

Malmo city having the industrial background, it allows small and medium business, service, trading companies and burgeoning IT for its local firm/people. Turning Torso was considered as the most important project of Malmo’s western harbor near the Oresund Bridge, which connects Sweden and Denmark.

The design was recognized in a fair!

Torso project was chosen by Malmo government, it wanted this build to be a landmark center to dense habitation. Before the construction began, the local authorities organized exhibition to choose high-raise structure buildings and to meet its purpose they invited Local Housing Cooperative, HSB to take part.The government took special attention before the construction starts and had mentioned only well-known architects were to be part of the exhibition.

Turning Torso was built by Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish architect, structural engineering and sculptor. He had displayed his works at the exhibition. His brochure in the exhibition stole the eyes. It was recognized by the former head of HSB and forced Malmo government, the project of the Scandican’s tallest building ‘Turning Torso’ to be handed to Santiago Calatrava. There after HSB members travelled to Zurich to meet Santiago Calatrava to request to design a residential building based on the idea of twisting cubes.

The body of Turning Torso depicts a human body contorting around its spine in an upward movement. The building is a wonderful imaginary invention brought into reality. It is also one of the landmarks in the world. 147 apartments and meeting halls facilities on the top floors are also provided.

About the Master Creator

TSantiago Calatrava, a great architect of those periods. His popular signature structures are Olympic sports complex in Athens, The world trade center transportation hub, several bridges, railway stations and air traffic control towers.

Architect Santiago Calatrava

Santiago Calatrava creates his work with the eye of the sculptor. He is inspired by animals and humans natural actions/movement by combining the free forms of art with strict geometry and modern technologies. He crosses boundaries and constructs unique buildings. He is also responsible for some of the fascinating works of art located in HSB Turning Torso.

Construction, Turned out to be real

The Core

The core is an enormous concrete pipe, with an inner diameter of 10.6 meters. Walls gradually go from 2.5 meters in thickness at the bottom to about 0.4 meters at the top of the building. Inside the core design had also lifts, shafts and staircases.

Structural slab

The structural slab is fitted around the core. The forms for the structural slab are shaped like slices of a pie. Together they form an entire floor. The forms were rotated 1.6 degrees for each floor in order to create the characteristic twist of the building.

Spine

On the exterior of the building there is an outer steel support, which is linked together by the spine. The steel support transfers shearing forces to the supporting concrete core. The total weight of the steel support frame is approximate 820 tons.

Façade

The glass and aluminum facade is very difficult to cop up because the building twists, the facade is double curved. There are approx. 2,313 panels and 2,368 windows in the facade. The panels are curved and the glass panels are flat.

The twist of the building, the windows are leaning either inwards or outwards, depending on its side of facing. On the western side they are leaning inwards and on the eastern, outwards. This leaning of the windows is between 0 and 7 degrees, while the lateral leaning is about 6 degrees.

The building shines externally fabulous using Golden Dragon LEDs. These LEDs are imported from Osram. A custom-made lighting by Danish lighting manufacturer, Louis Paulson is also seen. Internal lighting is also provided by Osram LEDs lights. It is facilitated and controlled using motion sensors.

Innards stand outstanding

The apartment at Turning Torse is well furnished to a high specification. The main entrance hall is featured by a polished limestone floor, the materials imported from the Jamtland region of north Sweden. The same stone is also used on window sills. Few other rooms boast oak floors. Tiled bathrooms are fitted with granite surfaces and under floor 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 13,500m² complexes also enjoy the benefits of a manned reception, full access to the wine cellar, rooms with panoramic views, well-appointed guest rooms and a gym with two saunas and a function suite on the 7^th floor.

The first 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 the surrounding area. To keep the clients updated. Furniture and interior design on the top two floors was the responsibility of White Architects.

The interior involves the art work designed by Santiago Calatrava. The art design is represents Calatrava visit to the raw space. The structural slabs, shaped like slices of a pie that fitted together to form an entire floor. It is anchored in the core. Each floor is rotated to create the characteristic twist of the building.

Other factors adds to the building

All the apartments have unique layouts depending on their position in the building. The living rooms are large, wider and open, often with views in two directions. The impression of light and space is reinforced by the elevated ceiling in the living rooms. The large, slightly tilted windows give the apartments a generous flow of natural light and fantastic views of Malmo city.

Turning Torso is having high-speed lifts in the core of the building service apartments. They travel at 5m per second so it only takes 38 seconds to get from ground level to the top most floors. In addition, there is a staircase from ground level to the top floor.

An exoskeleton around the building's front face is made of tapered white steel tubes. Following the concrete perimeter column, the exoskeleton's single upright is fixed to the tower between each module with horizontal and inclined tubes. These tubes reach back to steel anchors embedded in shear walls at the building's back corners. While the spine column takes perimeter vertical loads, the exoskeleton around it provides wind resistance and dampens the building's vibrations.

Turning Torso well grounded for sustainability factors

Turning Torso not only a magic architect building but it also facilitates an eco friendly adapted way of life. Malmo involved entrepreneurs to work in an environmental way. During the construction of the building, 10 hazardous materials were phased out together. The process of phasing out the materials is long-term but HSB achieved by performing it.

The LED lights at the building offer a more environmentally friendly approach by using less power and not requiring to be replaced like normal light bulbs or fluorescent tubes.

The building is supplied with 100% locally produced renewable energy. This energy of course is used efficiently. Turning Torso have been invested an energy efficient building envelope (windows and external walls) which lives up to Malmö’s energy consumption objective. Many of the installations are energy efficient. By monitoring heat and water consumption in each apartment residents can plan their own energy costs and thereby their impact on the environment.

Indeed, Western Harbor is being promoted as a global leader in urban sustainability. For heating, Turning 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.

Turning 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 Malmö'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.

Also try to make it easier for the residents to be environmental friendly. There is a kitchen waste disposal unit in every apartment for grinding organic waste. There are many shared facilities may lessen the need for car travel. There are many required shops near-by that you can go by walk.

Fact Sheet

Project: Turning Torso

Building: Commercial office Rental Apartment

Architect: Santiago Calatrava

Associate Architect: SAMARK Arkitektur & Design AB

Construction Manager: NCC Sweden

Duration: Started in February 2001 and completed in August 2005

Height: 190m (623.3 ft)

Floors: 54

Area: 13,500 (cube 3 to 9)

Commercial area: 4,000 (cube 1 and 2)

Client: HSB, Malmo