1 00:00:02,268 --> 00:00:04,480 [Narrator] How do you build a huge steel frame 2 00:00:04,504 --> 00:00:08,317 100 feet in the air on stilts? 3 00:00:08,341 --> 00:00:09,819 Initially it was a head-scratcher for sure, 4 00:00:09,843 --> 00:00:11,487 and a little concerning. 5 00:00:11,511 --> 00:00:15,157 [Narrator] How do engineers move a 5,000 ton roof over a railroad 6 00:00:15,181 --> 00:00:17,360 while the trains are still running? 7 00:00:17,384 --> 00:00:20,396 This is one of the biggest stations in Belgium 8 00:00:20,420 --> 00:00:23,632 It's a logistical nightmare. 9 00:00:23,656 --> 00:00:25,768 [Narrator] And how do you create a brand new museum 10 00:00:25,792 --> 00:00:30,639 from a giant stone jigsaw with over 1,000 pieces? 11 00:00:30,663 --> 00:00:34,100 Truth be told, there were many sleepless nights. 12 00:00:38,571 --> 00:00:42,442 [Narrator] This is the age of the extraordinary. 13 00:00:43,910 --> 00:00:46,756 [Hayley] It's like one of those insect-eating plants, 14 00:00:46,780 --> 00:00:49,358 only enormous and white. 15 00:00:49,382 --> 00:00:51,026 [Narrator] Where ingenious engineers have 16 00:00:51,050 --> 00:00:54,621 unleashed unchecked creativity. 17 00:00:55,088 --> 00:00:56,723 Now their secrets are revealed, 18 00:00:58,324 --> 00:01:02,271 as we discover the amazing stories of their construction. 19 00:01:02,295 --> 00:01:04,573 [Corina] This is an incredible feat of planning 20 00:01:04,597 --> 00:01:06,666 and engineering. 21 00:01:08,234 --> 00:01:12,281 [Narrator] To try and understand, 22 00:01:12,305 --> 00:01:14,274 "How Did They Build That?" 23 00:01:15,608 --> 00:01:19,188 For me, great architecture is like great fashion. 24 00:01:19,212 --> 00:01:21,824 While the most daring and outrageous designs 25 00:01:21,848 --> 00:01:24,894 might look fantastic on the drawing board or catwalk, 26 00:01:24,918 --> 00:01:28,197 there's no way I could ever pull them off in a regular street. 27 00:01:28,221 --> 00:01:31,200 But this next building has done exactly that. 28 00:01:31,224 --> 00:01:34,003 It's a custom classic, boldly strutting its stuff 29 00:01:34,027 --> 00:01:36,262 right in the centre of Toronto. 30 00:01:40,066 --> 00:01:42,778 [Narrator] In downtown Toronto, there's a brash new building 31 00:01:42,802 --> 00:01:44,647 that's dividing opinion. 32 00:01:44,671 --> 00:01:48,217 It's powerful, evocative, playful. 33 00:01:48,241 --> 00:01:49,785 [Nick] I had somebody walk up to me on the street 34 00:01:49,809 --> 00:01:52,388 and just say, what is that ugly piece of...? 35 00:01:52,412 --> 00:01:55,114 It's a downtown landmark for sure. 36 00:01:55,682 --> 00:01:57,226 [Narrator] This is what happened when an art college 37 00:01:57,250 --> 00:02:00,362 that needed more space had nowhere else to go... 38 00:02:00,386 --> 00:02:03,332 and an architect got the chance to go wild. 39 00:02:03,356 --> 00:02:04,633 [Haley] It's crazy. 40 00:02:04,657 --> 00:02:08,471 Like a building is being airlifted into downtown. 41 00:02:08,495 --> 00:02:11,073 [Narrator] This is the Rosalie Sharp Centre For Design, 42 00:02:11,097 --> 00:02:15,211 a tall story made real by extraordinary engineering. 43 00:02:15,235 --> 00:02:18,280 100,000 square feet of new college extension 44 00:02:18,304 --> 00:02:21,217 balanced on 12 90-foot stilts. 45 00:02:21,241 --> 00:02:23,919 All hovering over the delicate old school. 46 00:02:23,943 --> 00:02:26,055 You have to worry about another building collapsing 47 00:02:26,079 --> 00:02:28,190 while you're doing all this. 48 00:02:28,214 --> 00:02:30,159 [Narrator] This pixelated cuboid of steel 49 00:02:30,183 --> 00:02:32,294 brought the traffic to a standstill, 50 00:02:32,318 --> 00:02:36,365 but also became an instant landmark. 51 00:02:36,389 --> 00:02:38,567 And it's where brilliant planning and engineering 52 00:02:38,591 --> 00:02:42,829 combined to create a new classroom space out of thin air. 53 00:02:43,863 --> 00:02:45,865 So how did they build it? 54 00:02:50,537 --> 00:02:53,215 Downtown Toronto has the third most skyscrapers 55 00:02:53,239 --> 00:02:56,385 over 650 feet in North America. 56 00:02:56,409 --> 00:02:58,945 And it's Canada's financial heart. 57 00:02:59,913 --> 00:03:03,759 Next door to the money making is the entertainment district, 58 00:03:03,783 --> 00:03:08,063 where people come for music, theatre, sport, 59 00:03:08,087 --> 00:03:11,467 or just to hang out. 60 00:03:11,491 --> 00:03:13,569 And squeezed in amongst all this 61 00:03:13,593 --> 00:03:16,405 is Canada's oldest educational institution 62 00:03:16,429 --> 00:03:20,199 for art and design, the OCAD University. 63 00:03:20,700 --> 00:03:23,612 We are embedded in the middle of downtown Toronto. 64 00:03:23,636 --> 00:03:26,148 This... Chinatown's over there, you know, 65 00:03:26,172 --> 00:03:29,218 the entertainment district is south of us. 66 00:03:29,242 --> 00:03:32,454 [Narrator] Built in the 1920s, by the end of the century 67 00:03:32,478 --> 00:03:36,258 the main college site can't cope anymore. 68 00:03:36,282 --> 00:03:39,953 We just needed more studio spaces for our students. 69 00:03:41,854 --> 00:03:44,099 [Narrator] It's the year 2000, and now with almost 70 00:03:44,123 --> 00:03:47,169 two and a half thousand art students registered here, 71 00:03:47,193 --> 00:03:50,439 the site is busting at the seams. 72 00:03:50,463 --> 00:03:53,709 Another 100,000 square feet of space is needed, 73 00:03:53,733 --> 00:03:56,679 but they have three big problems. 74 00:03:56,703 --> 00:03:59,949 Number one, there's no space to extend the building 75 00:03:59,973 --> 00:04:01,917 outwards any further. 76 00:04:01,941 --> 00:04:04,787 Number two, the foundations of the existing building 77 00:04:04,811 --> 00:04:08,490 aren't strong enough to add more floors on top. 78 00:04:08,514 --> 00:04:10,359 We would've been driven to putting columns through 79 00:04:10,383 --> 00:04:13,295 the existing building, which was basically a no go. 80 00:04:13,319 --> 00:04:15,798 [Narrator] And number three, the residents in the apartments 81 00:04:15,822 --> 00:04:19,268 across the road have a view over to nearby Grange Park, 82 00:04:19,292 --> 00:04:21,737 and they don't want to lose it. 83 00:04:21,761 --> 00:04:23,772 [Paul] The neighbours enjoyed their view of the park, 84 00:04:23,796 --> 00:04:25,641 and they didn't want to be blocked by a big, monstrous 85 00:04:25,665 --> 00:04:28,611 building right in front of them. 86 00:04:28,635 --> 00:04:31,213 [Narrator] Faced with no easy answers, the college knows 87 00:04:31,237 --> 00:04:34,950 it's going to need a radical approach. 88 00:04:34,974 --> 00:04:38,387 They find it three and a half thousand miles east 89 00:04:38,411 --> 00:04:40,389 in London, England, 90 00:04:40,413 --> 00:04:44,526 in the unconventional mind of architect Will Alsop. 91 00:04:44,550 --> 00:04:47,763 [Ellie] Will Alsop is the maverick's maverick architect. 92 00:04:47,787 --> 00:04:52,801 He pushes engineers to their absolute limits. 93 00:04:52,825 --> 00:04:55,537 [Narrator] He can't build outwards. 94 00:04:55,561 --> 00:04:59,475 And he can't build upwards without blocking views. 95 00:04:59,499 --> 00:05:01,644 But Will Alsop finds a solution 96 00:05:01,668 --> 00:05:05,280 with a characteristic flash of inspiration. 97 00:05:05,304 --> 00:05:06,749 Will had this idea. 98 00:05:06,773 --> 00:05:08,584 We'll just raise the building out of their sight line, 99 00:05:08,608 --> 00:05:11,887 so the underside of this tabletop is basically 100 00:05:11,911 --> 00:05:14,023 at the roof of the apartment across the street, 101 00:05:14,047 --> 00:05:17,259 so they can still have a clear view of the park. 102 00:05:17,283 --> 00:05:18,961 [Narrator] It's a radical concept, 103 00:05:18,985 --> 00:05:21,597 even by Alsop's standards. 104 00:05:21,621 --> 00:05:24,833 [Ana] When it was presented to the various people who could 105 00:05:24,857 --> 00:05:29,429 make it a reality, I think it just captured their imagination. 106 00:05:31,364 --> 00:05:32,608 [Narrator] The engineers, however, 107 00:05:32,632 --> 00:05:35,577 want a little more detail. 108 00:05:35,601 --> 00:05:37,946 [Paul] And he came over and presented this vision 109 00:05:37,970 --> 00:05:42,117 on the back of a napkin, this building floating in midair. 110 00:05:42,141 --> 00:05:43,919 And we're saying, well, we gotta, may have to add 111 00:05:43,943 --> 00:05:44,953 a column here or there. 112 00:05:44,977 --> 00:05:47,389 And that was the big joke at the time. 113 00:05:47,413 --> 00:05:50,025 [Narrator] But supporting the very large two-storey building 114 00:05:50,049 --> 00:05:52,385 on stilts is no joke. 115 00:05:54,487 --> 00:05:57,700 Though sometimes used in domestic housing designs, 116 00:05:57,724 --> 00:05:59,802 pillars have rarely been used to support 117 00:05:59,826 --> 00:06:02,237 very large commercial buildings, 118 00:06:02,261 --> 00:06:05,307 and for very good reasons. 119 00:06:05,331 --> 00:06:08,444 [Hayley] Usually a building is constructed from the ground up. 120 00:06:08,468 --> 00:06:10,946 It has foundations, lower levels that underpin 121 00:06:10,970 --> 00:06:14,016 the base of the structure and, if necessary, 122 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:18,387 additional bracing to provide support in strong winds 123 00:06:18,411 --> 00:06:21,056 or even earthquakes. 124 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:26,595 But this box on stilts has no such thing. 125 00:06:26,619 --> 00:06:29,598 [Narrator] But that isn't going to stop this project. 126 00:06:29,622 --> 00:06:32,034 So some serious thinking goes into making Alsop's 127 00:06:32,058 --> 00:06:36,662 amazing levitating building a possibility. 128 00:06:38,564 --> 00:06:40,943 The huge two-storey tall rectangular box 129 00:06:40,967 --> 00:06:44,379 will float 50 feet above the old college building 130 00:06:44,403 --> 00:06:46,639 and 85 feet above the pavement. 131 00:06:48,207 --> 00:06:51,053 Its main support will be a concrete core that will also 132 00:06:51,077 --> 00:06:55,648 take all the plumbing, wiring, elevators and stairs. 133 00:06:56,783 --> 00:07:00,028 But this will still leave the 275 foot-long structure 134 00:07:00,052 --> 00:07:01,821 precariously balanced. 135 00:07:02,688 --> 00:07:05,801 So six pairs of 90-foot-long steel legs will be added 136 00:07:05,825 --> 00:07:09,462 in strategic positions to support its massive weight. 137 00:07:10,930 --> 00:07:14,200 The engineers are confident these columns will hold it up. 138 00:07:14,734 --> 00:07:16,545 They just don't know how it can all be built 139 00:07:16,569 --> 00:07:18,571 in downtown Toronto. 140 00:07:19,138 --> 00:07:20,983 Some eyebrows were raised when the site team 141 00:07:21,007 --> 00:07:24,319 looked at the initial structure, how we were going to install it. 142 00:07:24,343 --> 00:07:26,655 [Narrator] The first challenge is how they're going to build 143 00:07:26,679 --> 00:07:29,224 the 1,300-ton steel frame 144 00:07:29,248 --> 00:07:33,896 above the old, but still active university building. 145 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:36,031 There's an existing building down below. 146 00:07:36,055 --> 00:07:39,735 That was a big constraint, and that housed students. 147 00:07:39,759 --> 00:07:42,104 They didn't want steel to be hoisted over top 148 00:07:42,128 --> 00:07:44,573 of students below because if something were to happen, 149 00:07:44,597 --> 00:07:47,109 it would be a high-risk element. 150 00:07:47,133 --> 00:07:49,978 [Narrator] In order to build it safely, the team decides 151 00:07:50,002 --> 00:07:53,882 work will take place during the 12-week summer vacation. 152 00:07:53,906 --> 00:07:57,286 That, though, is a very short schedule to build anything, 153 00:07:57,310 --> 00:07:59,188 let alone this. 154 00:07:59,212 --> 00:08:01,023 [Ed] We had a very tight window through the summer. 155 00:08:01,047 --> 00:08:03,225 We were under the gun to make sure that we 156 00:08:03,249 --> 00:08:05,494 achieved that milestone. 157 00:08:05,518 --> 00:08:07,262 [Narrator] In summer 2002, 158 00:08:07,286 --> 00:08:10,523 they begin work on the central concrete core. 159 00:08:11,824 --> 00:08:14,203 At the height where the frame for the structure begins, 160 00:08:14,227 --> 00:08:16,839 they bolt on a girder. 161 00:08:16,863 --> 00:08:20,776 This is where they'll attach the first steel columns. 162 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:22,711 The clock is ticking, 163 00:08:22,735 --> 00:08:25,113 so they decide to speed up the build 164 00:08:25,137 --> 00:08:29,852 by prefabricating the steel structure in a factory off site. 165 00:08:29,876 --> 00:08:31,320 [Edward] It saved weeks and weeks on the schedule 166 00:08:31,344 --> 00:08:34,256 and made sure that those key critical structural connections 167 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,392 were done in a shop environment under high-quality conditions, 168 00:08:37,416 --> 00:08:40,362 because there's a lot of load going through those columns. 169 00:08:40,386 --> 00:08:41,997 [Narrator] The next challenge 170 00:08:42,021 --> 00:08:45,434 is how to get those huge 90-foot columns into the tightly packed 171 00:08:45,458 --> 00:08:48,527 grid of downtown Toronto. 172 00:08:49,161 --> 00:08:50,505 Initially, it was a head-scratcher for sure 173 00:08:50,529 --> 00:08:52,131 and a little concerning. 174 00:08:55,568 --> 00:08:57,613 [Narrator] Next, the whole project depends 175 00:08:57,637 --> 00:08:59,572 on finding an answer. 176 00:09:02,369 --> 00:09:05,514 [Narrator] In downtown Toronto, roads are closed to traffic 177 00:09:05,538 --> 00:09:07,316 and cleared of obstacles, 178 00:09:07,340 --> 00:09:10,486 so that the trucks can manoeuvre the 90-foot-long columns along 179 00:09:10,510 --> 00:09:13,356 the tight route into the site. 180 00:09:13,380 --> 00:09:16,192 The level of planning required is incredible, 181 00:09:16,216 --> 00:09:19,595 but when you're shutting down entire city streets, 182 00:09:19,619 --> 00:09:22,655 there is no room for error. 183 00:09:23,923 --> 00:09:26,102 You can see there's very tight site constraints. 184 00:09:26,126 --> 00:09:28,838 Obviously, overhead wires were here at the time 185 00:09:28,862 --> 00:09:31,841 for the streetcar system. It had to be removed. 186 00:09:31,865 --> 00:09:34,810 [Edward] Police escorts are involved; it's pretty intense. 187 00:09:34,834 --> 00:09:37,313 It had to be very clockwork operation to make sure that 188 00:09:37,337 --> 00:09:39,806 everything went very quickly. 189 00:09:40,273 --> 00:09:42,218 [Narrator] As each column arrives on site, 190 00:09:42,242 --> 00:09:46,255 it's hoisted into position and fixed. 191 00:09:46,279 --> 00:09:48,491 [Edward] Everything had to be coordinated very tightly 192 00:09:48,515 --> 00:09:51,427 because there's no room for error. 193 00:09:51,451 --> 00:09:53,729 I was definitely here watching to make sure that first 194 00:09:53,753 --> 00:09:56,031 column fit as planned. 195 00:09:56,055 --> 00:09:58,625 It was a pretty intense moment. 196 00:10:00,727 --> 00:10:02,405 [Narrator] Once there, they need to bolt each 197 00:10:02,429 --> 00:10:05,641 of the legs into place on a system of foundations 198 00:10:05,665 --> 00:10:08,978 engineered to withstand an earthquake. 199 00:10:09,002 --> 00:10:12,915 No mean feat when they're supporting 1,300 tons of steel, 200 00:10:12,939 --> 00:10:15,918 90 feet in the air. 201 00:10:15,942 --> 00:10:18,621 [Nehemiah] The big thing here is that this building is extremely 202 00:10:18,645 --> 00:10:23,125 top heavy, so much like a coffee table, it's designed where legs 203 00:10:23,149 --> 00:10:26,662 are strategically placed such that it can support 204 00:10:26,686 --> 00:10:29,031 the structure down to the foundation. 205 00:10:29,055 --> 00:10:33,169 However, you're looking at it and you see that the load path 206 00:10:33,193 --> 00:10:37,339 is through each of these stilts, whereas if one gets damaged 207 00:10:37,363 --> 00:10:41,501 and one goes, then the whole structure could collapse. 208 00:10:42,202 --> 00:10:43,546 [Narrator] There's a very real danger 209 00:10:43,570 --> 00:10:45,114 that if a leg gets damaged, 210 00:10:45,138 --> 00:10:48,984 the whole structure could topple over. 211 00:10:49,008 --> 00:10:52,354 To overcome the problem, engineers design a system 212 00:10:52,378 --> 00:10:55,658 where two legs are fixed to a triangle of deep concrete 213 00:10:55,682 --> 00:10:58,461 foundation piles, or caissons, 214 00:10:58,485 --> 00:11:01,330 to give it extra strength. 215 00:11:01,354 --> 00:11:04,400 The columns are in pairs, so each column comes down 216 00:11:04,424 --> 00:11:05,868 on a caisson. 217 00:11:05,892 --> 00:11:08,170 And the caissons are tied together with a beam, 218 00:11:08,194 --> 00:11:11,774 but there's a third caisson, which is stabilising it 219 00:11:11,798 --> 00:11:13,142 in the other direction. 220 00:11:13,166 --> 00:11:15,878 So at the point of the tripod under the ground, 221 00:11:15,902 --> 00:11:19,014 so it's not gonna move. Like a triangle's very stable. 222 00:11:19,038 --> 00:11:22,117 And here in Canada, you have to tie caissons somehow 223 00:11:22,141 --> 00:11:27,213 so they don't start to move around during an earthquake. 224 00:11:28,715 --> 00:11:30,059 [Narrator] It's now August. 225 00:11:30,083 --> 00:11:33,929 And school starts in less than a month. 226 00:11:33,953 --> 00:11:35,631 With the columns secured, 227 00:11:35,655 --> 00:11:40,093 they add more girders and steel to create the rectangular box. 228 00:11:43,096 --> 00:11:46,242 The iron workers are so fast, in just a few weeks, 229 00:11:46,266 --> 00:11:51,347 the frame grows from a single floor to two rigid storeys. 230 00:11:51,371 --> 00:11:53,449 [Edward] It was more plug and play versus 231 00:11:53,473 --> 00:11:54,850 lift and hope for the best. 232 00:11:54,874 --> 00:11:56,318 And it all went very well. 233 00:11:56,342 --> 00:11:58,420 So we're very, very happy that all that preplanning 234 00:11:58,444 --> 00:12:02,448 materialised into a success. 235 00:12:03,383 --> 00:12:05,694 [Narrator] The next challenge the engineers have to overcome 236 00:12:05,718 --> 00:12:07,921 is mother nature herself. 237 00:12:08,488 --> 00:12:11,033 Toronto is one of Canada's windiest cities, 238 00:12:11,057 --> 00:12:14,460 with regular gusts of over 50 mph. 239 00:12:14,994 --> 00:12:17,506 To prevent metal fatigue and even structural failure 240 00:12:17,530 --> 00:12:20,543 caused by the constant pounding of the wind, 241 00:12:20,567 --> 00:12:23,012 the team engineers the building to move a little, 242 00:12:23,036 --> 00:12:26,448 absorbing some of the force. 243 00:12:26,472 --> 00:12:29,285 But this solution creates another problem, 244 00:12:29,309 --> 00:12:32,521 because the old college building underneath does not move. 245 00:12:32,545 --> 00:12:35,658 And the two have to be joined by a staircase allowing people 246 00:12:35,682 --> 00:12:38,785 to escape in an emergency. 247 00:12:40,053 --> 00:12:42,665 If one part moves even just a few millimetres 248 00:12:42,689 --> 00:12:46,635 and the other part doesn't, a rigid joint could fracture 249 00:12:46,659 --> 00:12:50,706 with potentially incredibly disastrous consequences. 250 00:12:50,730 --> 00:12:53,275 [Corina] The last thing you want during really high winds 251 00:12:53,299 --> 00:12:56,011 or an earthquake is for your occupants to not be able 252 00:12:56,035 --> 00:12:57,337 to use the escape route. 253 00:12:59,305 --> 00:13:02,618 [Narrator] The engineers come up with an ingenious fix. 254 00:13:02,642 --> 00:13:06,655 They'll attach the staircase at the top to the new building. 255 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:08,223 But at the bottom, 256 00:13:08,247 --> 00:13:11,193 they won't attach it to the floor of the old building. 257 00:13:11,217 --> 00:13:14,563 It's hard to notice, but they aren't actually touching. 258 00:13:14,587 --> 00:13:19,335 It means if one moves, the other doesn't get damaged. 259 00:13:19,359 --> 00:13:23,172 [Paul] It sits down on pads on top of the existing building, 260 00:13:23,196 --> 00:13:26,842 so this is free to move in case the two buildings 261 00:13:26,866 --> 00:13:28,143 are moving differently. 262 00:13:28,167 --> 00:13:29,945 We cannot connect the two buildings together. 263 00:13:29,969 --> 00:13:32,581 In fact, nowhere is the tabletop connected to the 264 00:13:32,605 --> 00:13:34,083 existing building. 265 00:13:34,107 --> 00:13:36,218 There are always two separate buildings with either an 266 00:13:36,242 --> 00:13:41,256 expansion joint between them or some sort of movement joint. 267 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:45,227 [Narrator] By the start of the fall semester in September 2003, 268 00:13:45,251 --> 00:13:49,398 they've won the race to build the main steel box. 269 00:13:49,422 --> 00:13:53,569 Now students return to the old university building below. 270 00:13:53,593 --> 00:13:56,005 And the team gets on with finishing the extraordinary 271 00:13:56,029 --> 00:13:58,931 new structure above. 272 00:14:02,335 --> 00:14:05,914 It takes a year, but in October 2004, 273 00:14:05,938 --> 00:14:07,883 they unveil the hotly anticipated 274 00:14:07,907 --> 00:14:10,152 new university building. 275 00:14:10,176 --> 00:14:12,154 [Nick] You get all kinds of reactions. 276 00:14:12,178 --> 00:14:16,058 Surprisingly passionate ones. 277 00:14:16,082 --> 00:14:17,626 [Woman] Some people do think it's an eyesore, 278 00:14:17,650 --> 00:14:19,495 but I think that's kind of what makes it important, is that 279 00:14:19,519 --> 00:14:22,164 you need some things that are standing out in the city. 280 00:14:22,188 --> 00:14:23,766 [Man] It's interesting. 281 00:14:23,790 --> 00:14:26,335 Yeah, it's a lot of fun. 282 00:14:26,359 --> 00:14:29,638 It's not really a thing that you get bored of. 283 00:14:29,662 --> 00:14:32,474 [Narrator] The university has its extra 100,000 square feet 284 00:14:32,498 --> 00:14:36,078 of space for art studios, classrooms, exhibitions 285 00:14:36,102 --> 00:14:39,572 and offices. And it has it in style. 286 00:14:41,841 --> 00:14:46,255 It feels so fresh, but probably pissed off some people 287 00:14:46,279 --> 00:14:50,092 when it was first built, but over time showed 288 00:14:50,116 --> 00:14:53,629 how important it was to actually embrace a new way 289 00:14:53,653 --> 00:14:57,666 of looking at the way a building ought to be, uh, 290 00:14:57,690 --> 00:14:59,992 erected in the middle of a city. 291 00:15:01,127 --> 00:15:02,538 [Narrator] The award-winning building 292 00:15:02,562 --> 00:15:05,941 may have divided opinion, but it is unforgettable. 293 00:15:05,965 --> 00:15:08,644 And has put the university on the map. 294 00:15:08,668 --> 00:15:11,313 [Ellie] And the result really is mind-blowing. 295 00:15:11,337 --> 00:15:14,283 This building has literally shaken up Toronto, 296 00:15:14,307 --> 00:15:17,619 which is you know, known for being quite conservative. 297 00:15:17,643 --> 00:15:21,714 And this building will set the standard for many years to come. 298 00:15:22,315 --> 00:15:24,860 [Narrator] One man's vision achieved the impossible, 299 00:15:24,884 --> 00:15:27,420 a box of delights in midair. 300 00:15:27,987 --> 00:15:29,798 This wasn't brought in because Wills 301 00:15:29,822 --> 00:15:32,000 wanted a building up on stilts. 302 00:15:32,024 --> 00:15:34,737 It was the site that drove to this design. 303 00:15:34,761 --> 00:15:36,805 Now, some people think it was just done for showmanship, 304 00:15:36,829 --> 00:15:38,640 but it wasn't. It has a purpose. 305 00:15:38,664 --> 00:15:40,700 It was designed this way. 306 00:15:48,441 --> 00:15:54,380 [music] 307 00:15:56,749 --> 00:16:00,395 Our next stop is a railway station like no other. 308 00:16:00,419 --> 00:16:02,598 This one is such a departure... You see what I did there? 309 00:16:02,622 --> 00:16:05,267 From others, that Hollywood sci-fi movie makers 310 00:16:05,291 --> 00:16:07,803 think it's centuries ahead of its time. 311 00:16:07,827 --> 00:16:09,338 Never mind that train trip 312 00:16:09,362 --> 00:16:11,240 through America's historic terminals. 313 00:16:11,264 --> 00:16:13,742 When you climb aboard here, there's no mistaking it. 314 00:16:13,766 --> 00:16:16,411 You're setting out on a first-class journey 315 00:16:16,435 --> 00:16:18,171 into the future. 316 00:16:20,306 --> 00:16:21,416 [Narrator] When the high-speed trains 317 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,386 of the 1990s arrived in Europe, 318 00:16:24,410 --> 00:16:28,891 journeys from Liege in Belgium to places like Paris or Cologne 319 00:16:28,915 --> 00:16:32,427 became rapid and comfortable. 320 00:16:32,451 --> 00:16:35,764 But if you arrived in Liege, you found a small city 321 00:16:35,788 --> 00:16:37,499 with the big problem... 322 00:16:37,523 --> 00:16:41,036 A mainline train track that split the city in two 323 00:16:41,060 --> 00:16:43,038 and a super-busy train station 324 00:16:43,062 --> 00:16:46,542 no one liked looking at or using. 325 00:16:46,566 --> 00:16:49,912 This is one of the biggest stations in Belgium. 326 00:16:49,936 --> 00:16:52,781 It's a logistical nightmare. 327 00:16:52,805 --> 00:16:54,783 [Narrator] So the city brought in an architect 328 00:16:54,807 --> 00:16:58,587 with extraordinary vision and ambition to fix it. 329 00:16:58,611 --> 00:17:03,149 The building was challenging everybody, including myself. 330 00:17:05,718 --> 00:17:10,232 [Narrator] The team created an incredible city station, 331 00:17:10,256 --> 00:17:14,760 moving in its stunning new 5,000-ton steel roof. 332 00:17:15,528 --> 00:17:17,172 And if that wasn't hard enough, 333 00:17:17,196 --> 00:17:19,565 they did it while the trains were still running. 334 00:17:21,601 --> 00:17:24,112 [Narrator] A vast, curving monolith of concrete, 335 00:17:24,136 --> 00:17:26,448 glass and steel. 336 00:17:26,472 --> 00:17:29,618 An extraordinary design that tests warned could take off 337 00:17:29,642 --> 00:17:31,820 in high winds. 338 00:17:31,844 --> 00:17:35,615 Carved out of a hill with a history of violent landslides. 339 00:17:37,850 --> 00:17:41,454 This is Liege-Guillemins Station in Belgium. 340 00:17:42,955 --> 00:17:45,524 So how did they build it? 341 00:17:52,002 --> 00:17:55,182 [Narrator] After four long years of Nazi occupation, 342 00:17:55,206 --> 00:17:58,819 the city of Liege in Belgium was decimated. 343 00:17:58,843 --> 00:18:02,313 It had to rebuild itself from the ruins of World War Two. 344 00:18:05,015 --> 00:18:07,461 As part of that, in 1958, 345 00:18:07,485 --> 00:18:11,322 it drew up plans for a modern, new railway station 346 00:18:13,057 --> 00:18:15,802 The station was rebuilt after the war 347 00:18:15,826 --> 00:18:17,771 in an emergency situation 348 00:18:17,795 --> 00:18:19,439 because it was much more important 349 00:18:19,463 --> 00:18:22,943 to deliver a building than to do something looking to the future 350 00:18:22,967 --> 00:18:24,668 or something like that. 351 00:18:25,369 --> 00:18:26,847 [Narrator] But in just a few decades, 352 00:18:26,871 --> 00:18:29,616 the station began to show its age. 353 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:32,719 Its unimaginative and impractical layout made it 354 00:18:32,743 --> 00:18:38,258 totally inadequate for a station about to enter the 21st century. 355 00:18:38,282 --> 00:18:41,328 So the national railway company, SNCB, 356 00:18:41,352 --> 00:18:44,388 decided it was time for a major upgrade. 357 00:18:45,623 --> 00:18:48,592 [speaking French] 358 00:19:02,973 --> 00:19:04,584 [Narrator] The brief is to create 359 00:19:04,608 --> 00:19:06,353 an efficient modern station 360 00:19:06,377 --> 00:19:10,257 that can handle the latest super long high-speed trains, 361 00:19:10,281 --> 00:19:13,593 and be a sensational centrepiece that will unify 362 00:19:13,617 --> 00:19:17,054 rather than divide the city. 363 00:19:18,322 --> 00:19:20,434 They turn to an architect whose track record includes the 364 00:19:20,458 --> 00:19:24,171 World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York 365 00:19:24,195 --> 00:19:27,874 and Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences in Spain, 366 00:19:27,898 --> 00:19:30,544 Santiago Calatrava. 367 00:19:30,568 --> 00:19:33,647 Very often in railway stations is this expression you know, 368 00:19:33,671 --> 00:19:36,483 you were born on the wrong side of the tracks, you know, 369 00:19:36,507 --> 00:19:39,553 because they have divided cities in two parts, 370 00:19:39,577 --> 00:19:43,013 and it was necessary to overcome this problem. 371 00:19:44,515 --> 00:19:47,260 [Narrator] His vision is extraordinary. 372 00:19:47,284 --> 00:19:51,231 The station will be moved 300 feet down the line, 373 00:19:51,255 --> 00:19:54,634 with a footbridge crossing over it to provide that vital link 374 00:19:54,658 --> 00:19:56,627 between both parts of the city. 375 00:19:58,262 --> 00:20:01,942 In classic Calatrava fashion, his trademark concrete curves 376 00:20:01,966 --> 00:20:04,478 will wrap around five new platforms 377 00:20:04,502 --> 00:20:08,472 up to 1,500 feet long, which can take the high-speed trains. 378 00:20:09,940 --> 00:20:11,651 To top it all off, 379 00:20:11,675 --> 00:20:15,522 an incredible glass and steel arch will tower 100 feet high, 380 00:20:15,546 --> 00:20:20,227 stretching 600 feet across the tracks. 381 00:20:20,251 --> 00:20:24,097 This bold statement will be seen for miles around. 382 00:20:24,121 --> 00:20:27,625 The client, SNCB, is blown away. 383 00:20:44,174 --> 00:20:46,419 [Narrator] Although it's a stunning idea, 384 00:20:46,443 --> 00:20:50,047 engineers now have to work out how to build it. 385 00:20:51,482 --> 00:20:53,994 Because the west side of the station has to be built 386 00:20:54,018 --> 00:20:56,596 into a hill called Colline de Cointe, 387 00:20:56,620 --> 00:21:00,024 which has a dangerous history of instability. 388 00:21:02,660 --> 00:21:06,606 In 1950, a major landslide saw thousands of tons of earth 389 00:21:06,630 --> 00:21:10,634 engulf railway platforms, immobilising the railroad. 390 00:21:11,735 --> 00:21:15,882 It was very important to have not this type of event, 391 00:21:15,906 --> 00:21:18,718 to have no problem inside the station, 392 00:21:18,742 --> 00:21:23,147 to be sure that the final stabilisation is okay. 393 00:21:24,048 --> 00:21:25,759 [Narrator] Surveys of the hillside reveal 394 00:21:25,783 --> 00:21:28,495 the soil is soft and unstable. 395 00:21:28,519 --> 00:21:30,764 To prevent any catastrophic slippage, 396 00:21:30,788 --> 00:21:35,201 they build a huge 70-foot-high retaining wall. 397 00:21:35,225 --> 00:21:37,704 Initially, it will be anchored into the slope 398 00:21:37,728 --> 00:21:39,630 by super-strong cables. 399 00:21:41,365 --> 00:21:43,877 Those cables will corrode over time, 400 00:21:43,901 --> 00:21:45,812 but here's the clever part... 401 00:21:45,836 --> 00:21:48,882 An underground parking garage will be built into the hill, 402 00:21:48,906 --> 00:21:50,383 which will take over their job 403 00:21:50,407 --> 00:21:53,520 and hold back the unstable ground. 404 00:21:53,544 --> 00:21:56,723 The pressure of the earth was given to the parking, 405 00:21:56,747 --> 00:22:00,594 and from the parking also to the foundations of the station. 406 00:22:00,618 --> 00:22:04,497 The whole complex of parking and station are holding 407 00:22:04,521 --> 00:22:06,824 and retaining the wall in the back. 408 00:22:09,360 --> 00:22:10,770 [Narrator] The team holds its breath 409 00:22:10,794 --> 00:22:13,473 as the hill is scanned during construction. 410 00:22:13,497 --> 00:22:17,377 Any signs of slippage could put the whole project in jeopardy. 411 00:22:17,401 --> 00:22:22,115 It was very important to verify that we don't observe 412 00:22:22,139 --> 00:22:25,986 movement of the hill to be sure that there was 413 00:22:26,010 --> 00:22:28,612 no problem for the building. 414 00:22:30,447 --> 00:22:32,659 [Narrator] Thankfully, it goes to plan. 415 00:22:32,683 --> 00:22:35,729 And the underground section is completed without any movement 416 00:22:35,753 --> 00:22:37,664 in the hill. 417 00:22:37,688 --> 00:22:39,165 Work then moves on. 418 00:22:39,189 --> 00:22:41,601 And over the next year, they build five new 419 00:22:41,625 --> 00:22:44,838 super platforms that need to be strong enough to support 420 00:22:44,862 --> 00:22:47,707 the huge new roof. 421 00:22:47,731 --> 00:22:52,045 Weighing 5,000 tons and covering 600 feet of track, 422 00:22:52,069 --> 00:22:55,839 it will have to be built while the trains carry on running. 423 00:22:57,608 --> 00:23:01,221 [Hayley] 15,000 people travel through here every day. 424 00:23:01,245 --> 00:23:04,181 This is a logistical nightmare. 425 00:23:04,715 --> 00:23:06,926 [Narrator] On normal builds, they'd crane the vast sections 426 00:23:06,950 --> 00:23:08,795 of steel into position, 427 00:23:08,819 --> 00:23:12,265 but here, that just isn't possible. 428 00:23:12,289 --> 00:23:14,034 [Ellie] They would have to crane in massive amounts 429 00:23:14,058 --> 00:23:16,569 of steel right over the tracks, 430 00:23:16,593 --> 00:23:19,305 and that would just be too dangerous. 431 00:23:19,329 --> 00:23:22,542 [Vincent] It was impossible to use cranes to build 432 00:23:22,566 --> 00:23:28,505 the vertical arches on the final location of the structure. 433 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:31,584 [Narrator] So the team comes up with what they hope will be 434 00:23:31,608 --> 00:23:35,979 a solution to building the roof with its 39 vast steel arches. 435 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,025 A scaffolding tower will be built in front of the 436 00:23:39,049 --> 00:23:41,995 old station next to the tracks. 437 00:23:42,019 --> 00:23:46,733 Here the arches are welded together five at a time. 438 00:23:46,757 --> 00:23:49,402 As each section's added, the roof's pushed along 439 00:23:49,426 --> 00:23:52,372 a super-sized conveyor belt across the tracks 440 00:23:52,396 --> 00:23:55,041 by giant hydraulic jacks. 441 00:23:55,065 --> 00:23:59,212 It slides on huge Teflon pads mounted on iron girders 442 00:23:59,236 --> 00:24:02,048 until it reaches its final resting place. 443 00:24:02,072 --> 00:24:04,451 It sounds like a fantastic idea. 444 00:24:04,475 --> 00:24:06,910 The question is, will it work? 445 00:24:07,544 --> 00:24:11,124 There is often a stress period for engineer, of course, 446 00:24:11,148 --> 00:24:15,028 because don't forget that the weight of the steel of the main 447 00:24:15,052 --> 00:24:20,633 part of the structure at the time was about 4,500 tons. 448 00:24:20,657 --> 00:24:25,605 So it's a large weight, and we are in distress. 449 00:24:25,629 --> 00:24:28,408 [Narrator] The first section of arches is built. 450 00:24:28,432 --> 00:24:31,969 Now it has to be slid across the tracks. 451 00:24:32,703 --> 00:24:35,548 It's a tense moment as the jacks are engaged, 452 00:24:35,572 --> 00:24:40,277 ready to move it in tiny 11-inch steps. 453 00:24:42,112 --> 00:24:45,716 It takes a day and half to move these first five arches. 454 00:24:46,483 --> 00:24:48,819 There are 34 left to go. 455 00:24:50,387 --> 00:24:51,698 Over the next week, 456 00:24:51,722 --> 00:24:54,234 the sections are added one at a time 457 00:24:54,258 --> 00:24:57,961 until the whole roof is complete. 458 00:24:59,196 --> 00:25:02,709 Then, slowly and very carefully, 459 00:25:02,733 --> 00:25:06,370 the entire roof is edged into its final position. 460 00:25:09,473 --> 00:25:14,521 We have pushed the 39 steel arches at the same time, 461 00:25:14,545 --> 00:25:16,055 and at that moment, 462 00:25:16,079 --> 00:25:21,485 the trains continue to cross the station during the building. 463 00:25:24,221 --> 00:25:25,965 [Narrator] The roof may be in position, 464 00:25:25,989 --> 00:25:29,493 but now they need to make sure it stays there. 465 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,405 This 600-foot-long structure has to be strong enough 466 00:25:32,429 --> 00:25:35,642 to withstand gale-force winds. 467 00:25:35,666 --> 00:25:38,211 To make sure it is, the team creates a model, 468 00:25:38,235 --> 00:25:40,413 which is tested at the laboratory 469 00:25:40,437 --> 00:25:43,574 with winds of up to 180 mph. 470 00:25:45,642 --> 00:25:49,556 We have made a very nice, very nice model. 471 00:25:49,580 --> 00:25:53,259 And on that, we have put many taps to measure the 472 00:25:53,283 --> 00:25:55,986 wind pressure at several points. 473 00:25:57,521 --> 00:25:59,432 [Narrator] Using the data from the model, 474 00:25:59,456 --> 00:26:01,968 the engineers fix five very clever 475 00:26:01,992 --> 00:26:05,104 and very strong quad legs between the roof 476 00:26:05,128 --> 00:26:07,207 and the platforms. 477 00:26:07,231 --> 00:26:12,402 These help to stabilise the huge roof against the winds. 478 00:26:13,937 --> 00:26:17,851 It's necessary to have the possibility for a structure 479 00:26:17,875 --> 00:26:21,979 to have a movement, as you can see on this support. 480 00:26:22,813 --> 00:26:26,492 [Narrator] A giant steel pin is built into each of the legs. 481 00:26:26,516 --> 00:26:29,095 These allow the entire roof structure to move up 482 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:31,497 to 16 inches with the wind, 483 00:26:31,521 --> 00:26:33,790 preventing it from breaking apart. 484 00:26:34,791 --> 00:26:38,504 There is a possibility to observe the rotation around 485 00:26:38,528 --> 00:26:43,610 this horizontal axis by the wind loading on the roof, 486 00:26:43,634 --> 00:26:46,970 a vertical movement equal to 40 centimetre. 487 00:26:48,538 --> 00:26:50,884 [Narrator] To top the amazing structure off, 488 00:26:50,908 --> 00:26:53,987 they build a giant canopy at either end, 489 00:26:54,011 --> 00:26:57,991 then install an incredible 1,300 tons of glass 490 00:26:58,015 --> 00:26:59,983 to glaze the entire roof. 491 00:27:04,354 --> 00:27:09,469 In 2009, Calatrava unveils his stunning 21st century station 492 00:27:09,493 --> 00:27:12,105 to the people of Liege, 493 00:27:12,129 --> 00:27:15,132 bringing the two divided parts of the city together. 494 00:27:33,517 --> 00:27:35,628 It was important for the town. 495 00:27:35,652 --> 00:27:39,423 It's an emblematic structure today here in Liege. 496 00:27:41,391 --> 00:27:43,336 [Narrator] It took thousands of man hours, 497 00:27:43,360 --> 00:27:45,271 and hundreds of workers and engineers 498 00:27:45,295 --> 00:27:48,474 nine long years to construct. 499 00:27:48,498 --> 00:27:50,143 And all of that 500 00:27:50,167 --> 00:27:53,503 around a living, breathing railroad that never stopped. 501 00:27:54,705 --> 00:27:58,451 Santiago's visionary station hopes to transport Liege 502 00:27:58,475 --> 00:28:02,188 deep into the 21st century. 503 00:28:02,212 --> 00:28:03,656 [Santiago] For many cities, 504 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,160 the railway has been the element who permit them to project 505 00:28:07,184 --> 00:28:11,431 into the future and still remain important places. 506 00:28:11,455 --> 00:28:15,726 It's like a gift to the people looking forward to the future. 507 00:28:22,466 --> 00:28:28,605 [music] 508 00:28:29,940 --> 00:28:32,952 A 28,000-square-foot, two-storey box 509 00:28:32,976 --> 00:28:34,854 sounds like the kind of place that might house 510 00:28:34,878 --> 00:28:37,590 a big Swedish furniture store, right? 511 00:28:37,614 --> 00:28:40,960 But wrap it up in a swirl of copper and line the inside 512 00:28:40,984 --> 00:28:44,063 with over 1,000 pieces of robotically sculpted stone 513 00:28:44,087 --> 00:28:46,399 to reflect the flow of an ancient river, 514 00:28:46,423 --> 00:28:49,569 and what you have is one of the most extraordinary buildings 515 00:28:49,593 --> 00:28:50,770 on the planet 516 00:28:50,794 --> 00:28:52,438 that's home to an intriguing collection 517 00:28:52,462 --> 00:28:55,232 of sports and state history. 518 00:28:58,368 --> 00:29:00,013 [Narrator] In 2009, 519 00:29:00,037 --> 00:29:02,949 the state of Louisiana gives a team of local architects, 520 00:29:02,973 --> 00:29:07,653 designers and engineers a massive challenge... 521 00:29:07,677 --> 00:29:10,456 To bring together two very different collections 522 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:13,026 under one spanking new roof. 523 00:29:13,050 --> 00:29:16,987 It had to be a celebration of Louisianan sports. 524 00:29:19,823 --> 00:29:21,901 [Jennae] Sport is massive in Louisiana, 525 00:29:21,925 --> 00:29:25,138 from football, basketball, to water sports, 526 00:29:25,162 --> 00:29:28,975 hunting and fishing. We are the sportsman's paradise. 527 00:29:28,999 --> 00:29:31,177 [Narrator] But it also had to house a collection that 528 00:29:31,201 --> 00:29:35,848 told the story of the region's sometimes painful history. 529 00:29:35,872 --> 00:29:40,086 Those atrocities were prevalent throughout this region. 530 00:29:40,110 --> 00:29:41,954 [Narrator] Its design had to take its lead 531 00:29:41,978 --> 00:29:44,991 from traditional local buildings, 532 00:29:45,015 --> 00:29:48,361 while being special enough to draw people in. 533 00:29:48,385 --> 00:29:51,097 [Corina] Over a thousand unique pieces of cast stone. 534 00:29:51,121 --> 00:29:54,634 This is the jigsaw puzzle to end them all. 535 00:29:54,658 --> 00:29:59,238 It was as if NASA had come and put a spaceship here. 536 00:29:59,262 --> 00:30:01,140 [Narrator] Creating this extraordinary building 537 00:30:01,164 --> 00:30:04,710 would push the team to their very limits. 538 00:30:04,734 --> 00:30:08,414 I had quite a few moments of doubt and fear. 539 00:30:08,438 --> 00:30:11,884 [Narrator] This is the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame 540 00:30:11,908 --> 00:30:14,811 and Northwest Louisiana History Museum. 541 00:30:15,645 --> 00:30:18,048 So how did they build it? 542 00:30:22,803 --> 00:30:24,781 [Narrator] Sitting on the Gulf of Mexico, 543 00:30:24,805 --> 00:30:27,417 the state of Louisiana is rich with history 544 00:30:27,441 --> 00:30:30,177 and a melting pot of different cultures. 545 00:30:33,314 --> 00:30:36,593 New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette 546 00:30:36,617 --> 00:30:39,563 all conjure up thoughts of Creole architecture 547 00:30:39,587 --> 00:30:41,989 and Cajun cooking. 548 00:30:43,357 --> 00:30:47,428 But Louisiana is also a state that really loves its sports. 549 00:30:48,829 --> 00:30:52,900 So in 1958, they created a Sports Hall of Fame. 550 00:30:54,101 --> 00:30:58,248 By 1971, it had outgrown the building and was moved 551 00:30:58,272 --> 00:31:02,319 to Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. 552 00:31:02,343 --> 00:31:04,688 And there it stood for 40 years 553 00:31:04,712 --> 00:31:07,148 as more superstar names were added. 554 00:31:07,915 --> 00:31:09,359 Pistol Pete Maravich, 555 00:31:09,383 --> 00:31:12,996 the all-time college basketball leading scorer. 556 00:31:13,020 --> 00:31:16,566 New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning. 557 00:31:16,590 --> 00:31:18,802 And his son, Peyton Manning, 558 00:31:18,826 --> 00:31:22,973 considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. 559 00:31:22,997 --> 00:31:24,941 But the growing collection of memorabilia 560 00:31:24,965 --> 00:31:28,569 wasn't looking its best. 561 00:31:29,470 --> 00:31:32,949 It didn't give people an opportunity to browse 562 00:31:32,973 --> 00:31:36,787 and to have a true, meaningful visit. 563 00:31:36,811 --> 00:31:38,813 So we always wanted a museum. 564 00:31:39,847 --> 00:31:41,925 [Narrator] Meanwhile, across town, 565 00:31:41,949 --> 00:31:45,095 a very different collection of regional history 566 00:31:45,119 --> 00:31:48,823 housed in the old courthouse also needs needed a new home. 567 00:31:50,157 --> 00:31:52,436 The city decided to combine both collections in 568 00:31:52,460 --> 00:31:56,397 one extraordinary new building in the centre of town. 569 00:31:58,098 --> 00:32:01,545 [Trey] The brief was a building that would include 570 00:32:01,569 --> 00:32:05,816 both the history of Louisiana and sports of Louisiana. 571 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:07,851 And what is that relationship? 572 00:32:07,875 --> 00:32:10,144 And how has it evolved over time? 573 00:32:12,112 --> 00:32:14,391 [Narrator] Like other states in the deep South, 574 00:32:14,415 --> 00:32:19,129 Louisiana's past is marked by the dark stain of slavery. 575 00:32:19,153 --> 00:32:20,831 During the 1700s, 576 00:32:20,855 --> 00:32:24,401 the French transported thousands of captives from West Africa 577 00:32:24,425 --> 00:32:26,136 to work as slaves 578 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:29,673 in the region's vast plantations. 579 00:32:29,697 --> 00:32:33,043 Those atrocities were prevalent throughout this region, 580 00:32:33,067 --> 00:32:34,845 the plantations. 581 00:32:34,869 --> 00:32:36,346 It was about, 582 00:32:36,370 --> 00:32:39,916 wow, we can bring equity to a place that at one time 583 00:32:39,940 --> 00:32:43,077 in history was about the lack of equity. 584 00:32:44,678 --> 00:32:47,157 [Narrator] Trey and the team come up with a design influenced 585 00:32:47,181 --> 00:32:49,759 by traditional local buildings 586 00:32:49,783 --> 00:32:51,895 and its riverbank setting, 587 00:32:51,919 --> 00:32:56,700 creating something that at first glance looks like a simple box, 588 00:32:56,724 --> 00:32:58,926 but is anything but. 589 00:33:01,562 --> 00:33:04,107 The exterior of the building takes inspiration 590 00:33:04,131 --> 00:33:06,710 from the shading louvers found on Louisiana's 591 00:33:06,734 --> 00:33:10,113 old plantation houses, 592 00:33:10,137 --> 00:33:11,615 while inside, 593 00:33:11,639 --> 00:33:14,951 the 28,000 square feet of exhibition space 594 00:33:14,975 --> 00:33:17,954 will be linked by a single sinuous corridor 595 00:33:17,978 --> 00:33:20,357 that flows like the river outside 596 00:33:20,381 --> 00:33:23,593 through the building and into the galleries. 597 00:33:23,617 --> 00:33:25,128 Made from cast stone, 598 00:33:25,152 --> 00:33:28,298 coloured to match an ancient local building plaster, 599 00:33:28,322 --> 00:33:31,001 it promises to remake the museum experience 600 00:33:31,025 --> 00:33:33,360 for the modern age. 601 00:33:33,761 --> 00:33:34,971 [Jennae] The design was beautiful. 602 00:33:34,995 --> 00:33:37,574 I was just so impressed at how well it flowed. 603 00:33:37,598 --> 00:33:41,068 And again, how well it fit into the community, also. 604 00:33:41,535 --> 00:33:43,380 [Narrator] But David and the team of engineers brought in 605 00:33:43,404 --> 00:33:45,682 to actually build the structure 606 00:33:45,706 --> 00:33:48,018 are taken aback by the unconventional shapes 607 00:33:48,042 --> 00:33:50,153 they have to construct. 608 00:33:50,177 --> 00:33:51,855 [David] Once I was on board, 609 00:33:51,879 --> 00:33:54,257 it was in a bit a moment of fear and panic 610 00:33:54,281 --> 00:33:57,994 because I realised how difficult this was going to be 611 00:33:58,018 --> 00:33:59,696 and it looked like quite a challenge. 612 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:02,699 Truth be told, there were many sleepless nights. 613 00:34:02,723 --> 00:34:04,467 We had the shape determined. 614 00:34:04,491 --> 00:34:08,262 But the question was, how do we build this thing? 615 00:34:09,964 --> 00:34:13,243 [Narrator] In 2010, construction starts. 616 00:34:13,267 --> 00:34:15,345 They lay the foundations, 617 00:34:15,369 --> 00:34:18,882 build the two-storey, steel-framed rectangular box, 618 00:34:18,906 --> 00:34:21,685 and add weatherproof exterior panels. 619 00:34:21,709 --> 00:34:23,320 It's a straightforward structure 620 00:34:23,344 --> 00:34:26,856 and gives no hint of how complicated building the inside 621 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:28,716 is going to be. 622 00:34:29,950 --> 00:34:31,428 One of the most important elements 623 00:34:31,452 --> 00:34:34,364 is the flowing riverlike corridor. 624 00:34:34,388 --> 00:34:37,834 Inspiration for the material to build that comes from the houses 625 00:34:37,858 --> 00:34:41,071 of 17th century French settlers. 626 00:34:41,095 --> 00:34:42,539 Called bousillage, 627 00:34:42,563 --> 00:34:45,141 they used a mix of river clay and moss 628 00:34:45,165 --> 00:34:48,111 to make a type of plaster. 629 00:34:48,135 --> 00:34:50,880 [Hayley] Bousillage is put in between timber 630 00:34:50,904 --> 00:34:52,549 to fill the gaps when building. 631 00:34:52,573 --> 00:34:56,486 When it hardens, it turns a cool, white colour. 632 00:34:56,510 --> 00:34:58,588 [Narrator] The first problem the engineers face 633 00:34:58,612 --> 00:35:01,257 is that bousillage is far too fragile to use 634 00:35:01,281 --> 00:35:03,660 in a modern public building. 635 00:35:03,684 --> 00:35:08,098 So they need to find a material similar in colour and finish 636 00:35:08,122 --> 00:35:10,433 that is strong enough to do the job. 637 00:35:10,457 --> 00:35:12,602 It turns out the answer was even older, 638 00:35:12,626 --> 00:35:15,538 dating way back to the Roman Empire. 639 00:35:15,562 --> 00:35:18,608 They used cast stone to create the arches and the gateways 640 00:35:18,632 --> 00:35:20,076 of the Colosseum. 641 00:35:20,100 --> 00:35:22,445 And the beauty of cast stone is that it can be made in almost 642 00:35:22,469 --> 00:35:26,507 any colour or texture you want. 643 00:35:27,274 --> 00:35:30,754 And it provides a very highly refined surface, 644 00:35:30,778 --> 00:35:34,715 much finer than regular concrete, which is very good. 645 00:35:35,549 --> 00:35:38,094 Normally, this is a really quick and efficient, 646 00:35:38,118 --> 00:35:40,363 and cost-effective mode of construction 647 00:35:40,387 --> 00:35:42,132 because once you've built the mould, 648 00:35:42,156 --> 00:35:44,434 you can just churn the pieces out. 649 00:35:44,458 --> 00:35:48,171 But with this system, because every piece is different, 650 00:35:48,195 --> 00:35:50,330 they each need their own mould. 651 00:35:52,566 --> 00:35:55,545 [Narrator] It's so complicated, that 3D computer software 652 00:35:55,569 --> 00:35:58,439 is needed to design each different mould. 653 00:35:59,707 --> 00:36:01,484 [Corina] The pieces of cast stone are made by hand-packing 654 00:36:01,508 --> 00:36:05,055 stone cement mix into a mould. 655 00:36:05,079 --> 00:36:06,823 Once it's set, pop it out 656 00:36:06,847 --> 00:36:08,124 and there you have it, 657 00:36:08,148 --> 00:36:10,350 a rock-hard, perfectly-shaped stone. 658 00:36:14,588 --> 00:36:16,633 [Narrator] With many of the cast stone pieces weighing 659 00:36:16,657 --> 00:36:20,603 over a ton and having to fit together precisely, 660 00:36:20,627 --> 00:36:23,440 the next challenge is coming up with a way of holding 661 00:36:23,464 --> 00:36:28,168 each of them in exactly the right position. 662 00:36:29,870 --> 00:36:32,382 For that, the team turns to perhaps the most famous 663 00:36:32,406 --> 00:36:35,309 statue on the planet... 664 00:36:37,077 --> 00:36:39,656 the Statue of Liberty in New York. 665 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:42,625 The Louisiana team borrows a technique from Lady Liberty 666 00:36:42,649 --> 00:36:45,686 more than 100 years after she was built. 667 00:36:46,386 --> 00:36:48,732 [David] You have copper panels that form the surface 668 00:36:48,756 --> 00:36:51,468 of the statue, which are very irregular. 669 00:36:51,492 --> 00:36:54,304 And you have to hold those panels in place somehow. 670 00:36:54,328 --> 00:36:57,574 Copper panels were attached to a steel frame, 671 00:36:57,598 --> 00:37:00,376 so to me it was kind of an analogous approach, 672 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:03,537 except in modern times. 673 00:37:04,872 --> 00:37:07,350 [Narrator] So a sculpted framework of steel, 674 00:37:07,374 --> 00:37:08,952 much like the one that sits beneath 675 00:37:08,976 --> 00:37:10,720 Liberty's copper skin, 676 00:37:10,744 --> 00:37:15,215 is built inside the box-like outer structure. 677 00:37:16,316 --> 00:37:18,895 Designed using the same 3D computer software 678 00:37:18,919 --> 00:37:20,797 that modelled the cast stone, 679 00:37:20,821 --> 00:37:24,758 it is shaped precisely to take the sculpted pieces. 680 00:37:25,325 --> 00:37:27,504 [Trey] So that required in the placement of the 681 00:37:27,528 --> 00:37:31,632 cast stone material in its form unique to each piece. 682 00:37:32,533 --> 00:37:35,612 [Narrator] With the heaviest stones weighing around six tons, 683 00:37:35,636 --> 00:37:39,082 the next challenge the team faces is working out how to fix 684 00:37:39,106 --> 00:37:42,452 the 1,000-plus pieces in place. 685 00:37:42,476 --> 00:37:43,853 [David] Then you had to hold them up 686 00:37:43,877 --> 00:37:45,388 from falling to the ground. 687 00:37:45,412 --> 00:37:47,323 Or if they were hanging over your head as in the ceiling 688 00:37:47,347 --> 00:37:50,059 and they were completely suspended. 689 00:37:50,083 --> 00:37:53,329 [Hayley] Here everything was unique, every panel size, 690 00:37:53,353 --> 00:37:56,399 so installing such bespoke components 691 00:37:56,423 --> 00:37:59,259 is anything but repetitive. 692 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:02,105 [Narrator] It requires the engineers to design 693 00:38:02,129 --> 00:38:05,441 a complex system of unique brackets. 694 00:38:05,465 --> 00:38:07,844 Each will hold a number of pieces of stone 695 00:38:07,868 --> 00:38:11,614 in exactly the right place on the steel frame. 696 00:38:11,638 --> 00:38:13,783 We had one connector we called Frankenstein, 697 00:38:13,807 --> 00:38:16,286 which was just so absurd that we couldn't think of 698 00:38:16,310 --> 00:38:18,588 any other way to do it. 699 00:38:18,612 --> 00:38:20,690 I think there were five different panels connecting, 700 00:38:20,714 --> 00:38:22,992 and that was probably the oddest of the odd. 701 00:38:23,016 --> 00:38:24,794 [Narrator] These brackets have to be strong enough 702 00:38:24,818 --> 00:38:28,698 to maintain a small gap between each piece of stone. 703 00:38:28,722 --> 00:38:31,467 The worst-case scenario would be loads would flow 704 00:38:31,491 --> 00:38:34,771 from panel to panel and might overload the anchors 705 00:38:34,795 --> 00:38:39,008 and blow out the anchors or crack the panels. 706 00:38:39,032 --> 00:38:41,578 [Narrator] The system works well on the lower sections, 707 00:38:41,602 --> 00:38:43,046 but when the team starts fitting some 708 00:38:43,070 --> 00:38:45,048 of the larger, higher pieces, 709 00:38:45,072 --> 00:38:47,183 they hit a major problem. 710 00:38:47,207 --> 00:38:49,285 So the steel structure was deflecting. 711 00:38:49,309 --> 00:38:51,478 It was moving. 712 00:38:56,303 --> 00:38:57,814 [Narrator] It's 2010, 713 00:38:57,838 --> 00:38:59,615 and work is underway constructing the new 714 00:38:59,639 --> 00:39:01,784 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame 715 00:39:01,808 --> 00:39:04,644 and Northwest Louisiana History Museum. 716 00:39:06,313 --> 00:39:09,058 As each huge stone is fixed to the steel frame 717 00:39:09,082 --> 00:39:11,527 of the museum's snaking corridor, 718 00:39:11,551 --> 00:39:15,431 the engineers make allowances for some sag, 719 00:39:15,455 --> 00:39:19,302 but the system is proving a real headache for the team. 720 00:39:19,326 --> 00:39:23,005 So that was one kind of nail-biting moment. 721 00:39:23,029 --> 00:39:27,110 Somehow, as we're adding weight to every panel that's connected, 722 00:39:27,134 --> 00:39:28,845 our frame begins to deflect, 723 00:39:28,869 --> 00:39:31,438 and then panels we thought would fit would not fit. 724 00:39:34,408 --> 00:39:36,486 The great weight of all this cast stone caused 725 00:39:36,510 --> 00:39:38,688 a lot of deflections on this area. 726 00:39:38,712 --> 00:39:40,957 Another area there was a little smaller 727 00:39:40,981 --> 00:39:43,550 that also had some issues. 728 00:39:45,051 --> 00:39:47,764 [Narrator] They need to come up with a way of correcting it, 729 00:39:47,788 --> 00:39:49,699 and quick. 730 00:39:49,723 --> 00:39:53,336 They had to temporarily stabilise or redirect 731 00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:55,438 some of the loads. 732 00:39:55,462 --> 00:39:57,206 [Narrator] The solution is simple 733 00:39:57,230 --> 00:39:59,375 and very heavy. 734 00:39:59,399 --> 00:40:02,812 They pre-deflect the frame using ballast. 735 00:40:02,836 --> 00:40:04,947 [David] So what we had to do to make this work 736 00:40:04,971 --> 00:40:07,350 was to hang the heavy tub... 737 00:40:07,374 --> 00:40:11,120 I believe here was something like 16 tons of weight, 738 00:40:11,144 --> 00:40:14,257 and over there I believe it was about eight tons of weight... 739 00:40:14,281 --> 00:40:18,194 To make that steel frame flex down a bit. 740 00:40:18,218 --> 00:40:20,263 See here, the other end would flex there, 741 00:40:20,287 --> 00:40:22,932 and we'd start erecting these panels, 742 00:40:22,956 --> 00:40:25,935 so as these panels came in and added weight, 743 00:40:25,959 --> 00:40:28,838 we'd release weight from this hanging tub. 744 00:40:28,862 --> 00:40:31,474 And we'd release weight from that hanging tub, 745 00:40:31,498 --> 00:40:35,211 so that the frame would stay more or less in the same place 746 00:40:35,235 --> 00:40:37,146 all through the process. 747 00:40:37,170 --> 00:40:40,683 So that way we could guarantee that all these panels would fit 748 00:40:40,707 --> 00:40:44,611 properly without clanking into each other and causing problems. 749 00:40:45,579 --> 00:40:47,523 [Narrator] With the build back on track, 750 00:40:47,547 --> 00:40:50,326 the team prepares to move the highest and heaviest stone 751 00:40:50,350 --> 00:40:52,028 into position. 752 00:40:52,052 --> 00:40:55,965 It's a whopping 9,600 pounds. 753 00:40:55,989 --> 00:40:58,901 One of the most nerve-wracking moments was the largest panel, 754 00:40:58,925 --> 00:41:01,728 making sure that went in safely and fit. 755 00:41:04,531 --> 00:41:06,709 [Narrator] July 2012, 756 00:41:06,733 --> 00:41:09,469 the piece is safely craned into place. 757 00:41:11,705 --> 00:41:15,251 Work now focuses on finishing the outside of the building 758 00:41:15,275 --> 00:41:19,155 using materials that will improve as they get older. 759 00:41:19,179 --> 00:41:21,557 We discussed the element of time. 760 00:41:21,581 --> 00:41:24,227 How does time enrich a building? 761 00:41:24,251 --> 00:41:26,229 [Brad] It did start out as a wood facade, 762 00:41:26,253 --> 00:41:28,922 but there was a concern about longevity. 763 00:41:29,623 --> 00:41:32,368 [Narrator] Finally, copper is chosen to make the cladding, 764 00:41:32,392 --> 00:41:35,004 another material with a local connection. 765 00:41:35,028 --> 00:41:38,774 And even some roof systems here in Louisiana are made of copper. 766 00:41:38,798 --> 00:41:41,944 Copper is, of course, a beautiful material, 767 00:41:41,968 --> 00:41:45,848 the way it ages and darkens and patinas is really beautiful. 768 00:41:45,872 --> 00:41:49,042 And there's almost an unpredictability to it. 769 00:41:50,110 --> 00:41:52,021 [Narrator] The copper is shaped into a cladding 770 00:41:52,045 --> 00:41:54,524 of pleated sheets. 771 00:41:54,548 --> 00:41:57,026 Reminiscent of the louvers on traditional Southern 772 00:41:57,050 --> 00:42:02,198 plantation houses, they also help with its sustainability. 773 00:42:02,222 --> 00:42:03,733 They provide shade. 774 00:42:03,757 --> 00:42:06,502 And they also provide cooling for the building 775 00:42:06,526 --> 00:42:08,804 or breezes throughout the building. 776 00:42:08,828 --> 00:42:11,641 [Narrator] The exterior finish also protects the valuable items 777 00:42:11,665 --> 00:42:14,143 that will be on display inside. 778 00:42:14,167 --> 00:42:17,547 [Brad] We utilized the pleated copper and the louvers to filter 779 00:42:17,571 --> 00:42:20,917 the lighting and actually not allow any direct light 780 00:42:20,941 --> 00:42:24,878 to make its way into the exhibition spaces. 781 00:42:25,445 --> 00:42:27,590 [Narrator] In June 2013, 782 00:42:27,614 --> 00:42:31,661 after taking three years and $23 million to create, 783 00:42:31,685 --> 00:42:34,063 the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame 784 00:42:34,087 --> 00:42:37,033 and Northwest Louisiana History Museum 785 00:42:37,057 --> 00:42:40,803 is ready to open its doors to visitors. 786 00:42:40,827 --> 00:42:43,239 The displays are beautifully presented, 787 00:42:43,263 --> 00:42:46,576 but it's the new building that gets the attention. 788 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:49,145 When I first walked into this gallery, 789 00:42:49,169 --> 00:42:50,613 I thought for a moment, 790 00:42:50,637 --> 00:42:52,715 it's a shame we have to put anything in it. 791 00:42:52,739 --> 00:42:54,817 That's how beautiful it was. 792 00:42:54,841 --> 00:42:58,654 And I would have never in my DNA have had that thought had it 793 00:42:58,678 --> 00:43:04,117 not been something that was remarkable and unprecedented. 794 00:43:08,388 --> 00:43:12,068 [Narrator] As if to match the massive engineering achievement, 795 00:43:12,092 --> 00:43:13,769 one of basketball's greats 796 00:43:13,793 --> 00:43:18,331 leads a fresh set of inductees into the Sports Hall of Fame. 797 00:43:18,565 --> 00:43:19,842 I owe Louisiana everything, 798 00:43:19,866 --> 00:43:21,844 so when they told me I was getting inducted, 799 00:43:21,868 --> 00:43:25,171 you know, it's a great honour. 800 00:43:25,905 --> 00:43:28,584 [Narrator] It's been a long wait for Louisiana, 801 00:43:28,608 --> 00:43:30,519 but clever design, 802 00:43:30,543 --> 00:43:32,622 pioneering engineering 803 00:43:32,646 --> 00:43:35,391 and a nod to both past and future, 804 00:43:35,415 --> 00:43:38,327 has created a building as inspiring 805 00:43:38,351 --> 00:43:40,920 as the collections inside. 806 00:43:42,088 --> 00:43:45,701 [Brad] To finally have a home to actually induct into, 807 00:43:45,725 --> 00:43:48,004 it was really incredible to see that open up 808 00:43:48,028 --> 00:43:50,439 and see those people all finally have a place 809 00:43:50,463 --> 00:43:52,866 here in Natchitoches.