What inspired the design?

Calatrava's sculpture of a twisting body

Turning Torso Quiz: Malmö's Twisting Tower by Calatrava

This Turning Torso quiz looks up at the twisting skyscraper on Sweden's southern coast. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on architect Santiago Calatrava, his sculpture that inspired it, its 2005 completion, its height and 54 floors, nine stacked cubes, a 90-degree twist, the Western Harbour eco district, the crane it replaced and the Øresund Bridge nearby.

Start Turning Torso Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

City
Which city has the Turning Torso?
Architect
Who designed it?
Inspired
What inspired the design?
Opened
When was the tower completed?
Height
About how tall is the Turning Torso?
Twist
How far does the tower twist from bottom to top?
Cubes
How is the tower built up?
Use
What is the tower mainly used for?
District
Which eco-friendly district surrounds it?
Bridge
Which famous bridge links Malmö to Copenhagen?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which city has the Turning Torso?
Answer: Malmö
It is in southern Sweden.
Q2: Who designed it?
Answer: Santiago Calatrava
He is a Spanish architect and engineer.
Q3: What inspired the design?
Answer: Calatrava's sculpture of a twisting body
It was called Twisting Torso.
Q4: When was the tower completed?
Answer: 2005
It quickly became a landmark.
Q5: About how tall is the Turning Torso?
Answer: About 190 meters
It has 54 floors.
Q6: How far does the tower twist from bottom to top?
Answer: 90 degrees
Each segment rotates slightly.
Q7: How is the tower built up?
Answer: From nine stacked cubes
Each cube has five floors.
Q8: What is the tower mainly used for?
Answer: Apartments
Offices fill some floors too.
Q9: Which eco-friendly district surrounds it?
Answer: Western Harbour
It was built on former shipyards.
Q10: Which famous bridge links Malmö to Copenhagen?
Answer: Øresund Bridge
It opened in 2000.

A Skyscraper Inspired by a Twisting Body

The Turning Torso in Malmö, southern Sweden, was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and completed in 2005. It grew from his sculpture Twisting Torso, which showed a human body in motion. About 190 meters tall with 54 floors, it was for years the tallest building in Scandinavia.

The tower is built from nine stacked cubes, each with five floors, that rotate slightly so the whole building twists 90 degrees from bottom to top. A steel spine on one side supports the structure. Most floors hold apartments, with offices and conference spaces in some.

It stands in the Western Harbour, a former shipyard area turned into an eco-friendly district powered largely by renewable energy. The tower replaced the giant Kockums crane as Malmö's landmark. Nearby, the Øresund Bridge, opened in 2000, links Malmö with Copenhagen across the strait.

What This Quiz Teaches

Architecture fans will enjoy these questions.

Who designed the tower
What inspired it
How it is built
What surrounds it
What lies nearby

Did You Know?

Strong winds influenced the tower's engineering.
Residents enjoy views to Denmark on clear days.
The Kockums crane was sold to South Korea.
Malmö has many parks and beaches nearby.
Calatrava also designed the World Trade Center Oculus.