Educational Media Reviews Online

In the everyday experience of most of us, architecture seems to simply happen. It is commonplace to see buildings under construction, but we seldom stop to consider the complex choreography that makes it all possible. We are even less likely to have an appreciation for what transpires behind the scenes -- at the drawing board and in the board room. If we lack familiarity with the process by which ordinary buildings are made, an understanding of skyscrapers lies even further from our grasp. Within this realm, “Turning Torso,” Santiago Calatrava's architectural and engineering marvel in Malmo, Sweden, is unique.

The Socialist, the Architect, and the Twisted Tower offers us an intimate perspective on the process by which the tallest residential building in Europe came slowly and rather contentiously into being. The film documents the project from its inception -- through difficulties involving design, construction, budget, and ideology -- to its completion nearly three years past the originally projected date, and the international awards event in Cannes, France, in which “Turning Torso” is cited as the best residential project in 2005.

With egos, money, power, and politics at stake on a grand scale, the film takes an unflinching view of the fray. While this can, at times, make for less than comfortable viewing, The Socialist, the Architect, and the Twisted Tower is strong on insight into what it takes to create an architectural icon in the 21st century. It is recommended, particularly for libraries with collections in architecture.