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A new generation of skyscrapers is rising above our cities–Super Skyscrapers. With less space in urban areas, we are building higher and faster than ever before. But for these skyscrapers, it's not just building big that counts-it's thinking big. These skyscrapers are pushing the limits of engineering, technology, and design to become greener, stronger, smarter, and more luxurious than their predecessors. All are destined to become the celebrity giants of the future. SUPER SKYSCRAPERS follows the creation of four extraordinary skyscrapers, showcasing how they will revolutionize the way we live, work, and how we protect ourselves from potential threats, both from the environment and terrorist attacks. Filmed over the course of a year, each episode follows the rise of a single skyscraper during a crucial timeframe in their construction period. With unprecedented access to the building process, SUPER SKYSCRAPERS goes behind the scenes of construction to show these iconic landmarks in the making. A host of architects, designers, and engineers reveals the over-riding ambitions of each building and the colossal challenges that lie on the journey from conception to completion.

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Episodes

1. One World Trade Center

Following 9/11, newspapers predicted the end of the skyscraper era. But instead, New York responded with a super tall structure that has "security" running through its every girder. A skyscraper not just built because of 9/11- it's built in response to 9/11. This is the incredible story of the in final year of construction of One World Trade Center

2. The Billionaire Building

Upon completion, One57, on Manhattan's 57th Street, will rise more than 1,000 feet, making it the tallest residential tower in the western hemisphere and boasting spectacular views of Central Park. "One57" follows the teams tasked with creating New York's most luxurious residential skyscraper and their ambition to redefine luxury living the big city. Condominiums at One57 showcase state-of-the-art interiors - double-height ceilings, full-floor apartments, bathrooms clad in the finest Italian marble and the finest material finishes.

3. The Vertical City

Shanghai Tower isn't just a skyscraper - it's a vertical city, a collection of businesses, services and hotels all in one place, fitting a population the size of Monaco into a footprint the size of a football field. Within its walls, residents can literally work, rest, play and relax in public parks, looking up through 12 stories of clear space. Not just one, however, but eight of them, stacked on top of each other, all the way to the 121st floor. When complete, the structure will dominate Shanghai's skyline, towering over its neighbors as a testament to China's economic success and the ambitions of the city's wealthy elite.

4. Building The Future

Commonly known as "the cheese grater," the Leadenhall Building is the pinnacle of London's avant-garde architecture. Designed as a tapered tower with a steel exoskeleton, it's the tallest skyscraper in the City of London and the most innovative. The teams behind the Leadenhall project had to radically rethink every aspect of the traditional building model. This program follows the monumental challenges that come with erecting this super skyscraper: it will be constructed off-site, delivered to location, and stacked and bolted together like a giant Lego set.

Extended Details

SeriesSuper Skyscrapers

Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

Dan OliverDirector

Dan ChambersDirector

Super Skyscrapers - Season 1

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Episodes

Extended Details

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