Alexander+Quintero

**__Santiago Calatrava__**
Santiago Calatrava is not only a very well known Architect but also an Artist and an Engineer. Calatrava was born on July 28, 1951 in Valencia, Spain. He graduated in Valencia, Spain from high school and went to the Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura also in Valencia. There he received a degree in architecture. He was somewhat confused even after his degree so he went back to school to study Civil Engineering at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich where he received his Ph.D. in 1979 and where he now has his Main office. During his studies in Zurich he met and married his wife, also a student in Zurich. After graduation, he was offered a few smaller engineering jobs and began to enter competitions. He established his first office in Zurich where he also won his first competition proposal for the Stadelhofen Railway in 1983. From then on, his popularity grew engineering, designing and drawing many different things.





__**Turning Torso, Malmo  **  **, Sweden (1999-2005)**  __ The [|Architect Santiago Calatrava] designed Turning Torso. The Turning Torso could be looked at as a high rise and a big sculpture in the city. It is the tallest building in Sweden and in 1999 it was second highest in Europe, second to the  T   riumph Palace in Moscow. Calatrava was in charge of designing and helping the construction team with the project. During the construction of Turning Torso there were many problems with the constructors that caused a loss in time and money. Turning Torso has an elevator that will take you 54 stories in only 38 seconds. It consists of nine slanting cubes that are 90 degrees from the top cube to the bottom cube. Inside there are offices (floor 2-12), conference rooms (top 2 floors), and 147 apartments. Turning Torso uses local renewable energy for its utilities. Goran Rosberg, head of information at the Malmo City Planning Office, says: “It’s part of our plan for urban sustainability, a joint venture among the city, the university and the private sector.” In the core of the building there is a big concrete pipe, where the lift shafts and stairs are located. “There are approx. 2,800 panels and 2,250 windows in the facade. The panels are curved and the glass panels are flat,” [|(HSB)]. The height of Turning Torso is 190 meters (623 ft). The Turning Torso is based on what it is called, from a [|turning torso]. It is supposed to represent the human torso turning in an upward direction. Turning torso also came from one of Calatrava’s sculptures called [|Twisting Torso]. “ The Torso has been selected by the City of Malmo Government as a landmark for the new development.” [|(Woonq Blog)]. In 2005 Turning Torso received the award for best International Residential Development. The building started a revolution in more architecture and building to be created in the city. “ The core of the city is a mix of old and new architecture ,” [|(Sweden.se)]. Calatrava’s architecture is magnificent; many of his ideas for his buildings come from living objects, for example, birds, palm trees, and the human body. I believe that incorporating something living into a building or just feeding of it, it makes the building that much more interesting to look and enjoy. Incorporating the human spine/torso to his building made for a revolutionary way of designing buildings, especially in Malmo. For Turning Torso, the building really resembles the human spine/torso. The building was not only based on that but looks a lot like one of his own sculptures that the main idea also had to do with the human torso. The way the core and the spine of the building are, it gives the building a very unique and modern look to it. The twist in the building almost gives it a feel that it is in motion. Using the building not only for housing but for office space and conference rooms gives Turning Torso a versatile use and a new way of looking at sustainable buildings. The high rise is defiantly a magnificent work of art.



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