Karlatornet (lit. ‘The Karla Tower’, initially called Polstjärnan[4][5]) is a skyscraper under construction by Serneke in Lindholmen in Gothenburg, Sweden.

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I wish it talked more about the architecture. Im curious if the twist helps with wind.

I know enough about aerodynamics to speak generally about typical designs. But, this isn’t a typical design. Insight needs an aero engineer with some experience.

I think the architecture is really cool because it looks like a twist at first glance, but isn’t.

it looks like a twist at first glance, but isn’t.

It’s four twists

I’m not an architect. I’m an engineer.

It’s a cut into the exterior that creates an illusion, leaving the core intact. If it was anything different then it’d not be standing.

The overall surface of the facade is twisting. The IGU’s and spandrel panel systems that make up the exterior facade are more than likely not twisting.

So, it’s an illusion made out of entirely untwisted components. Imagine that.

It’s very obvious you’re now trying to make a point about the support structure but the facade of a building is very much real. It looks like a twist because it does a twist. There’s no angle where you realize the windows don’t actually change planes.

It looks like a twist because it does a twist.

No, it’s an illusion at scale. You almost say so yourself in your next sentence.

There’s no angle where you realize the windows don’t actually change planes.

Discreet flat planes constitute an illusion of a curve at scale. There are no curved components. They used offsets and angles in the outer layer. All the windows are flat planes. You can see the rectangles yourself just as you can see the triangles in a geodesic structure’s approximation of a complex curve.

A modern true curve is still often made from wood. If there’s money it’s laminated I-beam. But, curving or twisting structural steel is breaking all sorts of cardinal rules. Assuming safety is valued, cost rises exponentially from construction through build out and into maintenance and repair. An exception is large ships. That’s why they’re so expensive.

It’s very obvious you’re now trying to make a point

An artist and an engineer were given a modest budget and found a way to ask an obvious question to which the is answer is: It depends upon the perspective each of us chooses.

If you look closely you can see the flat planes and angles. There are no curves. You can see the truth of it yourself. It’s right there.

They’re obviously some intelligent people to be designing such things at all. Imagine how many times they’ve been talking about some subject or another and said, “Hey, friend, if you look more closely you can see (whatever truth) for yourself.”

Then the other person says, “It twists.”

Amazing piece of art, huh?