When I saw the stegosaurus Santiago Calatrava designed for the PATH train station near the World Trade Center, I was pretty well soured on his work. Today I happened across another one of his creations that left me less than impressed.

Today I found the Turning Torso. Completed in 2005, the building was commissioned to give Malmo, Sweden a distinctive skyline. For decades the city relied on a massive crane used in shipbuilding as the unofficial symbol of their city. When news hit that the crane had been sold and was going to be shipped to South Korea, Malmo decided it needed something new to make their city distinct.

I have to say I like the idea behind this design. It’s bold, unusual and creative. My hat goes off to Calatrava for this design, but only a little. I have to complain about the material used in the Turning Torso. I don’t know what it is but I can see that it’s incredibly drab. The building’s form is imbued with this dynamic energy but the material is as exciting as a Soviet apartment building. It looks like shabby concrete. Why oh why was this chosen? Was there a budget overrun? I suspect I know the answer and I’m none too pleased. I would bet this bland oatmeal-colored material was chosen out of some minimalist ideal. Yuck!

Now lets hop on a plane and go to New York City. NYC isn’t really known for cutting edge architecture, but Curbed posted a rendering I found incredible. This building should become 523 Greenwich Street but who knows if the zoning variance will come through.

Look at how this building gives the illusion of twisting up from the ground. If you use your eyes to follow the walls up from the ground you’ll see the building is straight, but if you look directly at the top it seems as if the building twists as it sprouts from the street. What a fantastic illusion! I love the mix of materials and changes in shape. It’s an exciting difference from the typical rectangle you see built. I don’t know if this actually will get done at 523 Greenwich. If it doesn’t, I hope it’s built somewhere. This is an awesome design that is worthy of becoming an icon.