The Leaning Tower of...Sweden

OK. So it's not leaning. It's twisted. While I'm fairly certain that the two towers haven't seen many side by side comparisons, I couldn't help thinking of (a modern, skyscraper version) of Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa when I first saw the tallest building in all of Sweden, Twisting Torso. The two European towers dominate their surrounding landscape.

(Twisting Torso photo courtesy of Hamsteren's photostream on Flickr. Leaning Tower of Pisa photo courtesy of wenzday01's photostream on Flickr.)

Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava designed Malmö, Sweden's skyscraper based on a sculpture called Twisting Torso. When it was completed in 2005, it was called the tallest building in Scandinavia (still is), the tallest residential building in the EU (now second in that category), at a height of 190 metres (623 feet), with 54 stories, with a total of 147 apartments and 9, five-story cubes. Sweden.se says the apartments "all have hardwood flooring, spacious kitchens and bathrooms, storage space, and come fully equipped with modern appliances – not to mention a view unmatched anywhere."

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Torre pendente di Pisa) began leaning to the southeast in 1173 due to poorly laid foundation. The bell tower reaches a height of 55.86 metres (183 feet) from the ground on the lowest side and 56.7 metres (186 feet) on its highest side.