Rising high above the low-slung built environment of the Swedish port city of Gothenburg, the SOM-designed Karlatornet recently claimed the title of Scandinavia’s tallest building. Completed in 2024, the 73-story skyscraper sits just north of the Göta River, anchoring a larger mixed-use development (master-planned by SOM) that aims to revitalize a derelict shipping and industrial district. The tower’s distinctive silhouette features four vertical volumes that appear to independently “twist” two-thirds of the way up, a subtle reference to the Göta’s ebbs and flows. “We didn’t want to relate a building of this scale to the vernacular, but we made sure that it acknowledged the city’s maritime origins,” says SOM design partner Kent Jackson. With over 600 high-end residences, a hotel, and a public observation deck, Karlatornet signifies a new frontier for vertical development in Europe, while maintaining a connection to the waterfront that defined its city’s history.