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[Male Narrator] How do engineers
building the steepest railway
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in the world
overcome impossible odds
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and tunnel through a freezing
cold rock face?
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[Bruno] It was blocked and then
we had really sleepless nights.
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[Narrator] What happens when a
145-year-old building
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goes under the knife of an
expert architect?
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[Daniel]
It's like a brain surgery.
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You have to have the scalpel and
all the precision instruments.
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[Narrator] And how do engineers,
building a 700-foot luxury
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apartment block,
face down a monster storm?
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[Kevin] Unfortunately, we were
at the worst part of the build
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when that hurricane came.
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[Narrator] This is the age
of the extraordinary.
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[Hayley] It's like one
of those insect-eating plants,
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only enormous and white.
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[Narrator]
Where ingenious engineers have
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unleashed unchecked creativity.
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Now their secrets are revealed.
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As we discover the inside
stories of their construction.
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[Corina]
This is an incredible feat
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of planning and engineering.
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[Narrator] To try and understand
"How Did They Build That?"
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To the beautiful mountains
of Switzerland now
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and a challenging and innovative
construction project that really
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puts the fun in funicular.
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Do you even know
what a funicular is?
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No? Well, stick around.
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With tunnels cut
through solid rock,
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and maximum gradients of 110%,
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it's the world's
steepest mountain railway.
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Naturally,
this being Switzerland,
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the design is sweet
as chocolate.
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[Narrator] The Swiss Alps.
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Home to 48 of Europe's
highest peaks,
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each over 13,000 feet tall,
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it offers some of the
continent's best winter
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skiing and mountaineering.
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Getting over 11 million people
up the slopes here every year,
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is a serious business involving
251 cable cars,
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129 gondolas,
and 42 funicular railways.
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In 2012,
more than 500 years after
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the first funicular was built,
work started on a new one.
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It would cost $57 million
and run two years overschedule,
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but it also changed the face
of the funicular forever.
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[Hayley] You think,
is it a train?
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Is it an elevator?
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In some ways, it's both.
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[Narrator] The team had to
tunnel through sheer rock
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to create the steepest railway
in the world.
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And if that wasn't hard enough,
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the carriages had to adjust
to gradients from horizontal
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to 110%.
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[Corina] This thing has
to go from dead flat
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to nearly vertical without
tipping over passengers
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halfway up.
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[Narrator] Capable of carrying
3,000 passengers an hour,
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at speeds of 32 feet per second,
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covering 2,500 feet of altitude
in three minutes,
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this is the
Stoosbahn Funicular Railway.
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So how did they build it?
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The picturesque Swiss mountain
village of Stoos
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lies at an altitude
of 4,000 feet
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with stunning views
over Lake Lucerne.
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Like many Alpine villages,
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it attracted wealthy Europeans
in the 19th century.
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But it wasn't until
after the first world war,
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when sports like tobogganing and
downhill-skiing became popular,
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the tourism really took off.
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Mountain resorts needed
efficient transport systems
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up and down the steep slopes,
in all weather.
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And funicular railways
were the perfect solution.
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[Corina] The original Swiss
funiculars of the 1900s
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were powered by filling a tank
in the car at the top
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of the mountain with water.
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Then gravity would
bring it down to the bottom
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and pull the bottom one up.
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Simple, ingenious
and sustainable.
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[Narrator] Funicular railways
solved the problem of carrying
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passengers up steep slopes
by pulling the carriages up
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with a single cable,
looped over a pulley at the top.
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As one car descends, the other
is pulled up at equal speed.
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And because they're
counterbalanced the pulley
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only needs to lift the excess
weight of the passengers,
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which makes the whole system
just incredibly efficient.
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[Narrator] In 1933, the tiny
village of Stoos
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opened its first funicular,
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which not only brought
in the tourists,
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but was also the
main access into
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and out of this car-free resort.
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70 years later, the Alpine
village wants to be better
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connected to the valley below.
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[Corina] Even if that
means building the world's
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steepest funicular railway.
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[Narrator] One that will take
the most direct route,
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straight up the north face
of the mountain.
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It comes with some of the
toughest terrain imaginable
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in gradients of 110%.
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[Corina] A 1% gradient
means that if you move
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100 feet forward, you're gonna
gain one foot in elevation.
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So a 110% gradient means that
for every 100 feet you go,
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you're goingn to be climbing
upwards 110 feet.
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So in other words,
it's really, really steep.
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[Narrator] To carry passengers
up and down this mountain,
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the engineers will need
to design and build the steepest
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funicular railway on the planet
embracing some old-school
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funicular tricks while coming up
with some brand new ones.
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The plan is for the new
funicular to link Stoos
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with the town of Schwyz
in the valley below.
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The route will climb
2,500 feet in altitude,
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on a single track
that's over a mile long.
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Three tunnels will be carved
through the mountain
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at some of the steepest
gradients ever attempted,
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48 degrees.
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At either end,
bridges will connect the near
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vertical mountain to
horizontal station platforms.
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And engineers will have to
design revolutionary carriages
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able to adjust to that using
radical hydraulic engineering.
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Reinventing a tried and tested
transport system is one thing,
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engineering and building it
is another.
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At the start,
we tried to understand would it
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be possible this steepness
to manage?
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Is it possible from a
technical point of view?
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And what would it cost about?
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[Narrator] The first challenge
Bruno and his team face
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is excavating a straight route
up the mountain.
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In 2014, work begins on
the first of three tunnels.
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They turn to an innovative form
of drilling originally used
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to create ventilation shafts in
mines called raise boring.
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[Ellie] Raise boring is most
often used where you have
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to create a vertical tunnel.
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First you drill downwards
with a smaller pilot drill
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until it emerges at the bottom,
then to that you add a bigger
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drill head and pull it back up,
widening the hole.
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The benefit is that your waste
drops out of the bottom
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of the hole on its own.
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And that saves
a lot of shoveling.
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[Narrator] The team expects
excavating the initial
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10-inch pilot holes
to take five days.
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But part way through,
the drill piece breaks
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bringing the project to a halt.
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The rock formation goes down
and up on the other side.
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But here it turns.
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And in this area,
it's very difficult.
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Unfortunately,
when they made the pilot hole
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which was 25 centimeters,
it was blocked.
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And then we had really
sleepless nights.
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What's going on now?
Then it was one year blocked.
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That was really a very,
very difficult situation.
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[Narrator] The project is
already a year behind schedule
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and they haven't even started
building the actual railway.
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[Narrator] In Stoosbahn after
a very, very long wait,
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the drill bit needed to bore
the funicular railway tunnels
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is repaired.
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Work restarts and the team
hold their breath waiting
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for the drill to break through
the rockface at the bottom.
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At the last day,
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I saw the responsible machinery
employee was very nervous.
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And I ask him,
why are you so nervous?
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He says, blocked again.
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No, no, no. Listen.
Look, look, look, look.
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And after five minutes came
water, water, water out
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of the of the wall, water.
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And then came the rest out.
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And it was really,
it was like a baby's born.
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[Narrator]
A year behind schedule,
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the team resumes excavating
30 feet of tunnel per week,
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blasting the primary holes,
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and enlarging them with a
special boring machine,
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before coating
and sealing them with concrete.
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This is precarious work.
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For a lot of the time you're
working in freezing conditions.
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You might be on extreme slopes,
and with the risk of rockfalls
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or avalanches at any given time.
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[Bruno]For the workers,
they had,
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sometimes we worked
24 hours a day.
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That was a huge challenge
to guarantee this safety.
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[Narrator] Finally,
in February 2017,
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three tunnels totaling 1,900 ft.
In length are finished.
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The tunnels may be complete,
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but the engineers' challenges
are far from over.
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Next, they need to create a
carriage system that can handle
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the extreme changes in gradient,
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from steep mountain
to flat station platform.
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[Ellie] With most traditional
funiculars the cars are raked
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at a fixed angle, all the way
from the bottom to the top.
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But with this system they
have to go from zero degrees
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up to 48 degrees, and then
back to zero degrees again.
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[Narrator] The man charged
with designing carriages
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that can do that,
is engineer Niklaus Moser.
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The solution comes to him
one night in his kitchen.
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[Nicholas] I was at home, and of
course, I was drinking a beer,
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can of beer.
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And uh, as time goes by,
this can gets empty
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and I just put it down
and rotated it.
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[Narrator] Nicholas's empty beer
can inspires a futuristic,
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barrel-like design
for the carriages.
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It will feature
level-adjusting cabins
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that are always horizontal,
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however steep
the dizzying incline.
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A hydraulic piston
within the chassis
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continually rotates the cabins
to remain horizontal,
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so the 34 passengers in each pod
can move around freely.
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The exterior steel
and glass shell means
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they also enjoy unobstructed,
panoramic views of the valley
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and mountains.
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And they say no good can come
from drinking beer.
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[Narrator] Five years after
construction began,
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the revolutionary Stoosbahn
Funicular is almost operational.
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The team has one final check,
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stress testing the
prototype carriage systems
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at extreme gradients.
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[Nicholas] We tested it.
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We were rotating
and do all the functional tests.
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We lift it up
in this 110% slope.
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It was a very, very nervous time
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and a very,
very challenging time.
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[Narrator] The radical funicular
carriage system achieves what
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many thought was impossible.
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Under test conditions the
interior barrel-like cabins
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rotate horizontally
at gradients of 110%,
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and then back to zero again
on the flats.
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There were some small hiccups.
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This is pretty normal,
fine-tuning, et cetera.
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Some modifications
had to be done.
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[Narrator] It's now time
for the first test run
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of both carriages at once.
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Unlike the earliest funicular
railways where the carriages
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ran on two separate tracks,
here, there's only one.
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So how do they pass?
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The narrowest system has both
cars on the same tracks.
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And they only split into two
when they pass each other
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at the midway point.
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[Narrator] This very simple
system was invented in 1879
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by Swiss mechanical engineer,
Carl Roman Abt.
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At the heart of it
is a wheel with two rims.
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If this is fitted
on the outside track
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and wheels without rims are
fitted on the inside,
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when the track splits in two
it guides the carriage onto the
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right-hand track and then back.
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[Nicholas] It pulls them out
automatically to the outside
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and guides them back in.
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00:13:35,162 --> 00:13:38,365
So that's called
the Abt passing loop.
243
00:13:39,633 --> 00:13:42,379
[Narrator] That's the theory,
but in practice the first run
244
00:13:42,403 --> 00:13:47,350
on a new track and passing loop
is always a nervous time.
245
00:13:47,374 --> 00:13:52,455
[Bruno] I had a dream that
when first times both wagons
246
00:13:52,479 --> 00:13:53,890
cross in the middle
247
00:13:53,914 --> 00:13:55,659
that it would be not
in the middle
248
00:13:55,683 --> 00:13:58,261
and then I waked up.
249
00:13:58,285 --> 00:14:00,330
[Narrator] The teams
calculations of cable length
250
00:14:00,354 --> 00:14:02,532
and tensioning are the
difference between
251
00:14:02,556 --> 00:14:05,526
the cars passing safely
or colliding.
252
00:14:06,694 --> 00:14:10,440
We had a little bit, we have
been a little bit nervous
253
00:14:10,464 --> 00:14:13,901
because it's a prototype.
254
00:14:15,703 --> 00:14:20,283
But then when it happens first
that both crossed in the middle,
255
00:14:20,307 --> 00:14:24,244
it was in the middle, so that
was a really exciting moment.
256
00:14:28,782 --> 00:14:33,496
[Narrator] Against the odds,
on December 17th, 2017,
257
00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:37,257
the new Stoosbahn Funicular
Railway opens to the public.
258
00:14:38,759 --> 00:14:43,273
Two years overschedule and about
30 million dollars over budget,
259
00:14:43,297 --> 00:14:46,309
the build may not have run
quite like clockwork,
260
00:14:46,333 --> 00:14:50,447
but within months Stoos,
with its incredible new railway
261
00:14:50,471 --> 00:14:54,007
is voted one of the top tourist
destinations on the planet.
262
00:15:02,516 --> 00:15:08,455
[music]
263
00:15:12,126 --> 00:15:15,004
You want to build a tower,
the most futuristic,
264
00:15:15,028 --> 00:15:18,174
state-of-the-art residence
in downtown Miami.
265
00:15:18,198 --> 00:15:20,376
Its design will require
one of the world's most
266
00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,912
avant-garde architects
to push the limits of what
267
00:15:22,936 --> 00:15:25,248
even they think is possible.
268
00:15:25,272 --> 00:15:27,784
You'll be using a
concrete, glass-fiber hybrid
269
00:15:27,808 --> 00:15:31,121
that's never been used
in a project like this before.
270
00:15:31,145 --> 00:15:32,322
Anything else?
271
00:15:32,346 --> 00:15:34,891
Oh yeah, a hurricane
is due to hit
272
00:15:34,915 --> 00:15:36,860
right in the middle of
construction.
273
00:15:36,884 --> 00:15:38,361
So what do you do?
274
00:15:38,385 --> 00:15:40,964
You get buildin', that's what.
275
00:15:40,988 --> 00:15:45,568
[music]
276
00:15:45,592 --> 00:15:47,337
[Narrator] Miami Florida,
277
00:15:47,361 --> 00:15:50,273
where South Beach
with its sun, sea and sand
278
00:15:50,297 --> 00:15:53,233
has long been a playground
for the super rich.
279
00:15:55,068 --> 00:15:57,747
But there's a new kid
on the block downtown
280
00:15:57,771 --> 00:16:00,240
that's really turning heads.
281
00:16:01,775 --> 00:16:04,721
Here, a clever developer
with a visionary architect
282
00:16:04,745 --> 00:16:07,323
came together
and transformed the skyline
283
00:16:07,347 --> 00:16:10,751
with an extraordinary
700-foot-tall tower.
284
00:16:11,485 --> 00:16:13,596
They hoped it would
send the price of property
285
00:16:13,620 --> 00:16:16,089
up there with it.
286
00:16:17,558 --> 00:16:20,303
[Corina] At up to 25 million
bucks for an apartment,
287
00:16:20,327 --> 00:16:23,096
this is definitely a place
for the super rich.
288
00:16:24,031 --> 00:16:25,542
[Narrator]
But the stakes were high.
289
00:16:25,566 --> 00:16:29,078
They were gambling on a radical
inside-out structural idea,
290
00:16:29,102 --> 00:16:31,147
never tried on this scale
291
00:16:31,171 --> 00:16:33,349
They all thought we were crazy.
292
00:16:33,373 --> 00:16:34,784
[Narrator]
If that wasn't enough,
293
00:16:34,808 --> 00:16:37,687
a major hurricane
threatened the entire build.
294
00:16:37,711 --> 00:16:40,590
I'm sometimes shocked
that this was done.
295
00:16:40,614 --> 00:16:42,425
[Joe] There was no turning
back once we started
296
00:16:42,449 --> 00:16:45,461
building this thing.
We had to make it work
297
00:16:45,485 --> 00:16:48,765
[Narrator] This tower named
the 1000 Museum
298
00:16:48,789 --> 00:16:53,794
forced engineers and architects
on a journey into the unknown.
299
00:16:55,796 --> 00:16:58,599
So how did they build it?
300
00:17:06,803 --> 00:17:09,982
[Narrator] Miami's South Beach
has long been a destination
301
00:17:10,006 --> 00:17:12,418
synonymous with luxury.
302
00:17:12,442 --> 00:17:14,587
A city known
for its showing off,
303
00:17:14,611 --> 00:17:19,459
houses here have sold
for over $75 million.
304
00:17:19,483 --> 00:17:21,194
Get it right
with your developments,
305
00:17:21,218 --> 00:17:24,597
you can make some serious money.
306
00:17:24,621 --> 00:17:26,265
But in 2012,
307
00:17:26,289 --> 00:17:29,602
land around South Beach is so
eye-wateringly expensive,
308
00:17:29,626 --> 00:17:33,330
that developers
are looking elsewhere.
309
00:17:34,498 --> 00:17:36,542
Kevin Venger thinks the time
is right to bring that
310
00:17:36,566 --> 00:17:39,645
million dollar price tag
to a largely forgotten bit
311
00:17:39,669 --> 00:17:42,582
of downtown Miami.
312
00:17:42,606 --> 00:17:47,420
Better known for its museums
than its luxury penthouses,
313
00:17:47,444 --> 00:17:51,515
Kevin's got a dream of turning
it into a new millionaires row.
314
00:17:52,816 --> 00:17:56,429
Downtown, its location is
in proximity to everything.
315
00:17:56,453 --> 00:17:59,265
This site, has unparalleled
views of South Beach,
316
00:17:59,289 --> 00:18:01,801
the waters, the ocean.
317
00:18:01,825 --> 00:18:04,771
[Narrator] So Kevin's plan is to
build a residential tower block
318
00:18:04,795 --> 00:18:06,873
and entice in the glitterati.
319
00:18:06,897 --> 00:18:09,375
To do that, he decides on a
skyscraper that's going to be
320
00:18:09,399 --> 00:18:11,577
like nothing else on earth.
321
00:18:11,601 --> 00:18:14,380
It's a huge gamble
because if they don't come,
322
00:18:14,404 --> 00:18:16,549
it could be financial ruin.
323
00:18:16,573 --> 00:18:19,352
[Patrik] The ambition was
to lift the market
324
00:18:19,376 --> 00:18:21,888
on that side of Miami
325
00:18:21,912 --> 00:18:27,727
and bring a kind of quality
of architecture and lifestyle,
326
00:18:27,751 --> 00:18:32,189
so that they can actually
catch South Beach prices.
327
00:18:33,190 --> 00:18:36,836
[Narrator] Right now though,
Kevin has an ugly, one-acre plot
328
00:18:36,860 --> 00:18:40,206
opposite Museum Park.
329
00:18:40,230 --> 00:18:43,009
But he has a dream.
330
00:18:43,033 --> 00:18:47,213
To make it a reality,
he turns to Dame Zaha Hadid,
331
00:18:47,237 --> 00:18:50,850
one of the world's most
visionary architects,
332
00:18:50,874 --> 00:18:54,387
whose extraordinary buildings
from the Antwerp Port Authority
333
00:18:54,411 --> 00:18:56,689
to the Quan Zu Opera House,
334
00:18:56,713 --> 00:19:00,726
never fail to stop people
in their tracks.
335
00:19:00,750 --> 00:19:03,296
Here on the site
of an old gas station,
336
00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:05,865
she's going to have
to work some serious magic
337
00:19:05,889 --> 00:19:09,035
if she wants to wow the world
338
00:19:09,059 --> 00:19:11,137
Zaha's designs around the world
339
00:19:11,161 --> 00:19:12,738
are just so unique
and different.
340
00:19:12,762 --> 00:19:15,475
We knew we were going
to have a really amazing tower
341
00:19:15,499 --> 00:19:19,236
that was going to change the
skyline in Miami forever.
342
00:19:21,838 --> 00:19:24,584
[Narrator] Zaha and the team
come up with a revolutionary
343
00:19:24,608 --> 00:19:26,319
design solution,
344
00:19:26,343 --> 00:19:28,187
creating a tower block
that is strong enough
345
00:19:28,211 --> 00:19:30,347
to survive Florida's hurricanes,
346
00:19:32,182 --> 00:19:35,919
but also doesn't need the normal
columns inside to hold it up.
347
00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:39,966
It will start with building
super-sized foundations
348
00:19:39,990 --> 00:19:43,527
to support the building,
even on the soft Floridian soil.
349
00:19:45,428 --> 00:19:48,641
Then instead of the normal
skeleton inside the tower
350
00:19:48,665 --> 00:19:51,744
with concrete and steel columns
giving strength,
351
00:19:51,768 --> 00:19:54,747
the building will be wrapped
in an exoskeleton of glass fiber
352
00:19:54,771 --> 00:19:57,140
reinforced concrete.
353
00:19:58,041 --> 00:20:00,887
This will allow uninterrupted
spaces inside,
354
00:20:00,911 --> 00:20:04,824
stunning views out,
and the sharpest of finishes
355
00:20:04,848 --> 00:20:07,660
appropriate for a block that
comes complete with a helipad
356
00:20:07,684 --> 00:20:10,854
for its uber-rich owners
to pay a flying visit.
357
00:20:12,322 --> 00:20:15,759
It has also, never been
done like this before.
358
00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,971
The design really
gave us column-free
359
00:20:18,995 --> 00:20:20,306
interior space.
360
00:20:20,330 --> 00:20:22,208
With column-free interior space,
361
00:20:22,232 --> 00:20:24,734
you can create
amazing floor plans.
362
00:20:25,769 --> 00:20:28,214
[Narrator] Zaha's radical
designs have a reputation for
363
00:20:28,238 --> 00:20:30,750
being notoriously hard to build.
364
00:20:30,774 --> 00:20:33,819
And with an exoskeleton system
that's never been tried before,
365
00:20:33,843 --> 00:20:36,489
this one is going
to be no exception.
366
00:20:36,513 --> 00:20:39,325
[Luis] The first thing that
popped into our heads is like,
367
00:20:39,349 --> 00:20:42,028
yeah, we can make
it work on paper,
368
00:20:42,052 --> 00:20:43,729
but how are we going
to build this?
369
00:20:43,753 --> 00:20:46,666
Because traditional
construction techniques
370
00:20:46,690 --> 00:20:51,304
would not be appropriate
for a structure like this.
371
00:20:51,328 --> 00:20:54,640
No one had ever built
anything like this before.
372
00:20:54,664 --> 00:20:57,343
I knew this was going to be a
373
00:20:57,367 --> 00:21:00,613
super challenging project,
something nobody ever did.
374
00:21:00,637 --> 00:21:02,615
I knew it was
gonna be tough job.
375
00:21:02,639 --> 00:21:05,508
I knew it was
gonna be a long job.
376
00:21:08,111 --> 00:21:12,892
[Narrator] In December 2014,
work begins on site.
377
00:21:12,916 --> 00:21:15,428
And the first challenge
the engineers face
378
00:21:15,452 --> 00:21:19,899
is laying the foundations
for the 63-story tower.
379
00:21:19,923 --> 00:21:22,835
The site itself,
previously a gas station,
380
00:21:22,859 --> 00:21:24,270
isn't huge
381
00:21:24,294 --> 00:21:26,572
and butts up to its neighbours.
382
00:21:26,596 --> 00:21:30,109
And unlike say New York
where stick a spade in,
383
00:21:30,133 --> 00:21:31,777
you're likely to hit granite,
384
00:21:31,801 --> 00:21:35,772
here it's sandy soil
for a long, long way down.
385
00:21:36,706 --> 00:21:38,384
[Kevin] You have to be much more
conscious about the settlement
386
00:21:38,408 --> 00:21:41,287
of the project,
so you don't have any issues
387
00:21:41,311 --> 00:21:43,389
with your neighboring
properties.
388
00:21:43,413 --> 00:21:44,657
[Narrator] The team has
to make sure that the
389
00:21:44,681 --> 00:21:46,592
foundations will be solid,
390
00:21:46,616 --> 00:21:49,295
and that the tower won't
simply start sinking.
391
00:21:49,319 --> 00:21:52,465
So the engineers
decide to go deep.
392
00:21:52,489 --> 00:21:55,301
[Luis] By going deeper,
we would go into more
393
00:21:55,325 --> 00:21:58,404
competent soil or rock,
394
00:21:58,428 --> 00:22:01,307
which would end up minimizing
the amount of settlement
395
00:22:01,331 --> 00:22:03,533
that the building experienced.
396
00:22:04,668 --> 00:22:08,338
They actually hit a record
going 184 feet.
397
00:22:09,673 --> 00:22:12,551
[Luis] The foundations ended up
being the deepest foundations
398
00:22:12,575 --> 00:22:15,812
that were ever done in Miami.
399
00:22:16,513 --> 00:22:18,891
[Narrator] And the record
breaking doesn't stop there,
400
00:22:18,915 --> 00:22:21,460
because now they've
found solid ground,
401
00:22:21,484 --> 00:22:25,088
the next step is
pouring the foundations,
402
00:22:26,990 --> 00:22:30,436
an incredible
10,000 cubic yards of concrete,
403
00:22:30,460 --> 00:22:32,938
which has to be done in one go.
404
00:22:32,962 --> 00:22:35,632
It takes some
serious organization.
405
00:22:41,404 --> 00:22:44,974
But 24 hours later,
the job is done.
406
00:22:45,375 --> 00:22:47,420
[Luis] As that last
truck is pulling away,
407
00:22:47,444 --> 00:22:49,655
you get a sense of relief.
408
00:22:49,679 --> 00:22:52,458
It's like, ah, okay, we're done.
409
00:22:52,482 --> 00:22:55,661
No, but then reality kicks in.
410
00:22:55,685 --> 00:22:58,497
It's like all we did was
just set the foundation.
411
00:22:58,521 --> 00:23:01,725
We still have 60 more
floors to build.
412
00:23:02,826 --> 00:23:04,103
[Narrator] And this
is where the real
413
00:23:04,127 --> 00:23:06,806
engineering challenge begins.
414
00:23:06,830 --> 00:23:08,641
The developers want
their high-end apartments
415
00:23:08,665 --> 00:23:10,843
to go big on space
416
00:23:10,867 --> 00:23:14,547
with virtually
no internal columns.
417
00:23:14,571 --> 00:23:16,582
To do this,
the designers come up
418
00:23:16,606 --> 00:23:18,851
with a ground-breaking,
new exoskeleton that's
419
00:23:18,875 --> 00:23:21,754
both strong enough to hold up
the entire building
420
00:23:21,778 --> 00:23:25,648
and beautiful without the
need for any cladding.
421
00:23:26,683 --> 00:23:28,994
[Corina] On a skyscraper,
the concrete core in its center
422
00:23:29,018 --> 00:23:31,997
provides its main structural
support and stability.
423
00:23:32,021 --> 00:23:34,934
The exoskeleton flips
that idea on its head
424
00:23:34,958 --> 00:23:37,369
because it gives
that vital support
425
00:23:37,393 --> 00:23:38,871
from the outside
of the building.
426
00:23:38,895 --> 00:23:40,906
Just like a scorpion
or a cockroach,
427
00:23:40,930 --> 00:23:44,744
that hard, outer shell
holds its body together.
428
00:23:44,768 --> 00:23:46,946
Its a win-win for developers
because it means you can half
429
00:23:46,970 --> 00:23:49,715
the size of the central
structural core.
430
00:23:49,739 --> 00:23:52,685
You use less concrete
and you get to increase
431
00:23:52,709 --> 00:23:54,520
the internal floor space.
432
00:23:54,544 --> 00:23:57,623
Basically, you get more bang
for your buck.
433
00:23:57,647 --> 00:24:00,025
[Narrator] All good in theory,
but how do you construct
434
00:24:00,049 --> 00:24:03,696
a vast 700-foot-tall exoskeleton
that can bear the weight
435
00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:06,599
of the building,
while showing off designer
436
00:24:06,623 --> 00:24:09,859
Zaha's free-flowing curves?
437
00:24:10,260 --> 00:24:13,139
There's only so many materials
that you can use in order
438
00:24:13,163 --> 00:24:17,834
to get that exoskeleton
to achieve her design.
439
00:24:18,701 --> 00:24:20,212
[Narrator]
From the 15th floor up,
440
00:24:20,236 --> 00:24:23,215
the curving exoskeleton
becomes more intricate.
441
00:24:23,239 --> 00:24:25,484
It needs to be built
from something stronger,
442
00:24:25,508 --> 00:24:27,877
so the skeleton can be thinner.
443
00:24:29,078 --> 00:24:32,091
They hit upon an innovative
material never before seen
444
00:24:32,115 --> 00:24:37,363
on a US skyscraper called
glass fiber reinforced concrete
445
00:24:37,387 --> 00:24:39,455
or GFRC.
446
00:24:40,857 --> 00:24:42,268
[Luis] You might ask yourself,
447
00:24:42,292 --> 00:24:45,938
how is it that you're
reinforcing concrete with glass?
448
00:24:45,962 --> 00:24:48,808
Well, it has a high
strength in tension,
449
00:24:48,832 --> 00:24:52,945
so it starts to mimic
the behavior of steel.
450
00:24:52,969 --> 00:24:55,681
[Narrator] When you add fibers
of glass to concrete,
451
00:24:55,705 --> 00:24:58,317
not only do you get something
that's super strong,
452
00:24:58,341 --> 00:25:02,288
but also it can be formed into
almost any shape imaginable.
453
00:25:02,312 --> 00:25:05,724
Glass fiber reinforced concrete
is essential for achieving
454
00:25:05,748 --> 00:25:10,396
the clean, free-flowing curves
that Zara Hadid is famous for.
455
00:25:10,420 --> 00:25:13,098
Because it uses
prefabricated panels,
456
00:25:13,122 --> 00:25:16,235
you can get razor-sharp edges
that you just can't get if
457
00:25:16,259 --> 00:25:18,661
you're pouring concrete on site.
458
00:25:20,597 --> 00:25:23,442
[Narrator] Normally, you create
shapes in concrete by building
459
00:25:23,466 --> 00:25:27,680
a mold called formwork made
from something like plywood.
460
00:25:27,704 --> 00:25:29,882
You fill it with
steel-reinforced concrete
461
00:25:29,906 --> 00:25:34,119
and when it's set,
you take the formwork away.
462
00:25:34,143 --> 00:25:36,722
But this new technique is
literally a high-wire act
463
00:25:36,746 --> 00:25:38,457
for the builders.
464
00:25:38,481 --> 00:25:42,094
The mold is created from glass
fiber reinforced concrete
465
00:25:42,118 --> 00:25:46,732
that is also going to be
the final exterior finish.
466
00:25:46,756 --> 00:25:49,835
It should look stunning
and be extraordinarily strong.
467
00:25:49,859 --> 00:25:52,304
That's if everything
goes to plan
468
00:25:52,328 --> 00:25:54,673
because none of the construction
crew has ever done anything
469
00:25:54,697 --> 00:25:57,142
like this before.
470
00:25:57,166 --> 00:25:59,445
I knew this was gonna
be a challenge.
471
00:25:59,469 --> 00:26:02,014
[Luis] The most nerve-wracking
moment that we experienced
472
00:26:02,038 --> 00:26:07,887
on the project is when we were
going to see GFRC formwork
473
00:26:07,911 --> 00:26:12,191
being used for the main
structure of the building
474
00:26:12,215 --> 00:26:14,326
for the first time anywhere.
475
00:26:14,350 --> 00:26:16,161
[Narrator] With just
half an inch of tolerance
476
00:26:16,185 --> 00:26:17,963
built into the panels,
477
00:26:17,987 --> 00:26:21,967
fitting them is going to be
anything but straightforward.
478
00:26:21,991 --> 00:26:23,269
[Kevin] They all
thought we were crazy.
479
00:26:23,293 --> 00:26:25,037
They said, oh, you guys are,
this is crazy.
480
00:26:25,061 --> 00:26:27,006
We're never gonna be able to
handle the product.
481
00:26:27,030 --> 00:26:28,574
We're never gonna be able
to keep up with this.
482
00:26:28,598 --> 00:26:31,577
This is a whole new thing.
483
00:26:31,601 --> 00:26:34,346
It took a learning
curve for sure.
484
00:26:34,370 --> 00:26:38,484
[Patrik] I think the contractors
were swearing against us,
485
00:26:38,508 --> 00:26:40,452
you know,
each panel took quite a while,
486
00:26:40,476 --> 00:26:44,023
but it matters.
It's really beautiful.
487
00:26:44,047 --> 00:26:46,292
[Luis] That was a
huge sense of relief
488
00:26:46,316 --> 00:26:52,164
because we had 50 floors
more of this to go.
489
00:26:52,188 --> 00:26:54,466
[Narrator] Barely is the
exoskeleton finished
490
00:26:54,490 --> 00:26:59,004
before mother nature throws a
very dangerous curveball.
491
00:26:59,028 --> 00:27:04,810
In August 2017, Hurricane Irma
is predicted to hit Miami.
492
00:27:04,834 --> 00:27:07,012
Bad enough
for a finished building.
493
00:27:07,036 --> 00:27:10,606
Right now,
it's potentially catastrophic.
494
00:27:11,174 --> 00:27:14,753
Unfortunately, we were at
the worst part of the build
495
00:27:14,777 --> 00:27:16,221
when that hurricane came.
496
00:27:16,245 --> 00:27:19,048
That's the real test for a
building for a first time.
497
00:27:21,417 --> 00:27:23,929
We had finishes going up the
building in the lower floors,
498
00:27:23,953 --> 00:27:26,031
glass going up
in the middle floors
499
00:27:26,055 --> 00:27:28,958
and the tower at the top,
wide open.
500
00:27:31,260 --> 00:27:34,907
[Joe] Cranes were getting taken
down from this hurricane.
501
00:27:34,931 --> 00:27:36,742
You know in
a couple of locations,
502
00:27:36,766 --> 00:27:39,135
actually pretty close to here.
503
00:27:40,336 --> 00:27:43,182
It's a gut shot that you
just hope that you just
504
00:27:43,206 --> 00:27:46,485
have some water damage
and some minor issues.
505
00:27:46,509 --> 00:27:52,515
[music]
506
00:27:53,249 --> 00:27:55,818
[Narrator] Next,
Hurricane Irma makes landfall.
507
00:27:58,034 --> 00:27:59,812
[Narrator] In Miami,
the team are two thirds
508
00:27:59,836 --> 00:28:03,615
of the way through
building the 1000 Museum.
509
00:28:03,639 --> 00:28:08,544
When on September 9, 2017,
Hurricane Irma makes landfall.
510
00:28:12,482 --> 00:28:15,351
Six-foot storm surges
flood the coast.
511
00:28:16,586 --> 00:28:20,390
Winds over 150 miles per hour
batter the city.
512
00:28:21,691 --> 00:28:25,495
It causes over $25 billion worth
of damage across the Gulf.
513
00:28:28,064 --> 00:28:30,509
But somehow, miraculously,
514
00:28:30,533 --> 00:28:33,736
the 1,000 Museum building
weathers the storm.
515
00:28:34,837 --> 00:28:37,383
There was very little damage
from that hurricane.
516
00:28:37,407 --> 00:28:39,675
We got off lucky.
517
00:28:40,743 --> 00:28:42,755
[Narrator] The team gets to work
finishing the final floors
518
00:28:42,779 --> 00:28:45,314
of the tower.
519
00:28:47,517 --> 00:28:51,697
All of the earlier drama
fades away under sunnier skies,
520
00:28:51,721 --> 00:28:54,357
and the rest of the build comes
off without a hitch.
521
00:28:55,825 --> 00:28:58,237
After four and a half years
of sweat and tears,
522
00:28:58,261 --> 00:29:02,665
Zaha Hadid's visionary
skyscraper is at last complete.
523
00:29:04,033 --> 00:29:07,579
Outside, Miami's latest
ultra-futuristic addition
524
00:29:07,603 --> 00:29:10,907
transforms the city's skyline.
525
00:29:11,674 --> 00:29:15,220
While inside, the exoskeleton
has also done its job,
526
00:29:15,244 --> 00:29:19,015
leaving uninterrupted eyelines
and barely a column in sight.
527
00:29:20,316 --> 00:29:23,929
The design sceptics thought it
couldn't be done really is
528
00:29:23,953 --> 00:29:25,697
and it's breathtaking.
529
00:29:25,721 --> 00:29:29,835
All of the units have 10-foot
high ceilings
530
00:29:29,859 --> 00:29:34,473
and all glass wrapping
around gives you right away
531
00:29:34,497 --> 00:29:36,975
when you walk in water views
532
00:29:36,999 --> 00:29:41,437
and a lot of light coming
into your living room.
533
00:29:42,805 --> 00:29:44,383
I love bringing people up here.
534
00:29:44,407 --> 00:29:46,251
Seeing what we've achieved
535
00:29:46,275 --> 00:29:48,053
here is a huge sense
of accomplishment.
536
00:29:48,077 --> 00:29:51,623
[Joe] This one is
probably the best building
537
00:29:51,647 --> 00:29:54,426
that I've ever built
in my career in it
538
00:29:54,450 --> 00:29:56,094
and the toughest.
539
00:29:56,118 --> 00:29:59,364
[Patrik] The workers themselves,
they loved the challenge.
540
00:29:59,388 --> 00:30:02,367
It was a kind of bonding
experience of,
541
00:30:02,391 --> 00:30:04,036
creating something
extraordinary.
542
00:30:04,060 --> 00:30:08,340
I have an extreme sense
of pride every time
543
00:30:08,364 --> 00:30:11,376
I look at the Miami skyline.
544
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:16,114
1,000 Museum stands out
like the pinnacle of
545
00:30:16,138 --> 00:30:19,451
all the other high-rises.
546
00:30:19,475 --> 00:30:21,477
There's nothing like it
else in the world
547
00:30:22,612 --> 00:30:25,824
[Narrator]
A developer took a massive risk.
548
00:30:25,848 --> 00:30:28,861
An architect pushed
the boundaries,
549
00:30:28,885 --> 00:30:33,765
and a construction team
went the extra mile.
550
00:30:33,789 --> 00:30:36,969
The 1,000 Museum is a true
testament to how embracing
551
00:30:36,993 --> 00:30:40,997
the revolutionary
can build the extraordinary.
552
00:30:44,233 --> 00:30:50,139
[music]
553
00:30:52,608 --> 00:30:55,821
To Germany now where
deconstructivism is transforming
554
00:30:55,845 --> 00:30:59,324
the face of the historic
city of Dresden.
555
00:30:59,348 --> 00:31:01,793
In this case, a 135-year-old,
556
00:31:01,817 --> 00:31:05,130
neo-classical palace
and what appears to be
557
00:31:05,154 --> 00:31:09,668
a crystal-shard rocketship
falling from space.
558
00:31:09,692 --> 00:31:13,963
The result, I am sure you will
agree, is out of this world.
559
00:31:15,298 --> 00:31:19,378
[Narrator] Built in 1876, this
building has been an armory,
560
00:31:19,402 --> 00:31:22,014
an Army museum, a Nazi museum
561
00:31:22,038 --> 00:31:24,116
and a Soviet museum
562
00:31:24,140 --> 00:31:28,878
before closing following the
reunification of Germany.
563
00:31:30,179 --> 00:31:31,790
Then 15 years later,
564
00:31:31,814 --> 00:31:34,393
it rose like a
phoenix from the ashes
565
00:31:34,417 --> 00:31:38,554
to become one of the country's
most extraordinary buildings.
566
00:31:40,590 --> 00:31:44,636
This huge 21st century
glass and steel arrowhead
567
00:31:44,660 --> 00:31:48,807
seems to just penetrate
this historic building.
568
00:31:48,831 --> 00:31:50,976
[Narrator] An architect
with an idea to transform
569
00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:54,870
the traditional
into something completely fresh.
570
00:31:55,638 --> 00:31:57,082
[Daniel] It's like
in a heart transplant.
571
00:31:57,106 --> 00:32:00,610
You're changing
the heart of a building.
572
00:32:02,311 --> 00:32:05,815
[Narrator] Opened old wounds
among the local population.
573
00:32:15,591 --> 00:32:19,938
[Narrator] It took 15,000 tons
of glass, concrete, and steel.
574
00:32:19,962 --> 00:32:22,174
Some serious
precision engineering
575
00:32:22,198 --> 00:32:24,042
and seven years.
576
00:32:24,066 --> 00:32:27,913
This is the Bundeswehr Museum
of Military History.
577
00:32:27,937 --> 00:32:30,239
So how did they build it?
578
00:32:32,341 --> 00:32:35,053
[music]
579
00:32:35,077 --> 00:32:37,723
[Narrator] Until World War Two,
Dresden was considered
580
00:32:37,747 --> 00:32:41,784
so splendid it was known
as the jewel box.
581
00:32:44,420 --> 00:32:49,725
Then in February 1945, the city
was fire bombed by the allies.
582
00:32:52,561 --> 00:32:55,407
25,000 inhabitants
lost their lives
583
00:32:55,431 --> 00:32:57,767
and little remained,
584
00:32:58,834 --> 00:33:01,079
except, somewhat ironically,
585
00:33:01,103 --> 00:33:04,240
the military museum,
which was unscathed.
586
00:33:05,775 --> 00:33:09,221
Following the war,
Dresden was under Soviet control
587
00:33:09,245 --> 00:33:12,224
and the museum was used
to tell the story of warfare
588
00:33:12,248 --> 00:33:14,793
from a Soviet perspective.
589
00:33:14,817 --> 00:33:18,030
But with the fall
of the Berlin Wall in 1989,
590
00:33:18,054 --> 00:33:22,401
its mission became unclear
and its doors were closed.
591
00:33:22,425 --> 00:33:24,069
15 years later,
592
00:33:24,093 --> 00:33:26,705
historians started to seek
new ways to frame Germany's
593
00:33:26,729 --> 00:33:29,098
dark, military past.
594
00:33:38,708 --> 00:33:40,185
[Narrator] In 2001,
595
00:33:40,209 --> 00:33:42,688
the city decides the
old Dresden building
596
00:33:42,712 --> 00:33:44,923
will become Germany's
biggest and most important
597
00:33:44,947 --> 00:33:47,492
military history museum,
598
00:33:47,516 --> 00:33:49,494
but it needs
a radical reinvention
599
00:33:49,518 --> 00:33:51,854
to make it fit for purpose.
600
00:34:08,471 --> 00:34:11,316
[music]
601
00:34:11,340 --> 00:34:14,453
[Narrator] Next they have little
idea how radically different
602
00:34:14,477 --> 00:34:16,112
it's going to be.
603
00:34:17,333 --> 00:34:19,078
[music]
604
00:34:19,102 --> 00:34:20,446
[Narrator] In Germany,
605
00:34:20,470 --> 00:34:22,815
plans are underway
to create a museum,
606
00:34:22,839 --> 00:34:25,017
which will tell its
military history in a
607
00:34:25,041 --> 00:34:28,821
radically, revamped building
in the city of Dresden.
608
00:34:28,845 --> 00:34:31,724
Architect, Daniel Liebskind is
known for his daring approach
609
00:34:31,748 --> 00:34:33,692
to sensitive projects,
610
00:34:33,716 --> 00:34:37,520
such as Berlin's Jewish Museum
611
00:34:38,554 --> 00:34:41,266
and the World Trade Center
memorial site.
612
00:34:41,290 --> 00:34:43,736
He pitches for the Dresden job.
613
00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:45,738
[Ellie] To create a space
that is appropriate
614
00:34:45,762 --> 00:34:48,874
for the complexity
and sometimes incredibly
615
00:34:48,898 --> 00:34:51,343
dark history
of Germany's military
616
00:34:51,367 --> 00:34:54,680
is a monumental design task.
617
00:34:54,704 --> 00:34:58,217
Daniel Liebskind is perhaps
one of only a few
618
00:34:58,241 --> 00:35:00,886
capable of taking this on.
619
00:35:00,910 --> 00:35:03,522
[Narrator] As a Polish American
of Jewish descent,
620
00:35:03,546 --> 00:35:06,392
this project strikes
a chord with Daniel.
621
00:35:06,416 --> 00:35:08,394
What drew me to the
project is the importance
622
00:35:08,418 --> 00:35:09,895
of military history.
623
00:35:09,919 --> 00:35:12,264
You know, all the wars,
World War One, World War Two,
624
00:35:12,288 --> 00:35:13,565
the millions of dead.
625
00:35:13,589 --> 00:35:15,834
That's very interesting
to address it,
626
00:35:15,858 --> 00:35:17,636
to think about it
and to create a building
627
00:35:17,660 --> 00:35:20,530
that is contemporary
and that speaks to that history.
628
00:35:23,065 --> 00:35:25,110
[Narrator]
Daniel's architectural vision
629
00:35:25,134 --> 00:35:30,115
will strike at the heart of the
old 19th-century institution.
630
00:35:30,139 --> 00:35:32,651
The center of the building
will be stripped back
631
00:35:32,675 --> 00:35:35,211
and reinforced to prepare
for what's to come.
632
00:35:36,779 --> 00:35:40,659
A mega five story,
15,000 ton wedge of glass,
633
00:35:40,683 --> 00:35:42,995
concrete and steel
will cut through the
634
00:35:43,019 --> 00:35:47,190
classic 135-year-old
brick facade.
635
00:35:48,157 --> 00:35:51,637
Inside this awesome extension,
a gallery of new collections
636
00:35:51,661 --> 00:35:54,564
will bring the story
of Dresden up to date.
637
00:35:55,198 --> 00:35:56,909
At its peak,
638
00:35:56,933 --> 00:35:59,812
an 82-foot-high viewing platform
will have breath-taking look out
639
00:35:59,836 --> 00:36:05,174
onto the modern city and point
to Dresden's tragic past.
640
00:36:05,775 --> 00:36:09,021
People can enter
through this new vector
641
00:36:09,045 --> 00:36:11,957
and look at
something so important,
642
00:36:11,981 --> 00:36:16,929
which is where the first bomb
that destroyed Dresden,
643
00:36:16,953 --> 00:36:19,198
where did it land?
Just in front of that wedge.
644
00:36:19,222 --> 00:36:23,368
And the wedge itself
a similar form to the two other
645
00:36:23,392 --> 00:36:25,170
bombs that fell in the back.
646
00:36:25,194 --> 00:36:26,839
So the triangle of bombing,
647
00:36:26,863 --> 00:36:29,241
you're actually standing in it
when you look at the new
648
00:36:29,265 --> 00:36:30,933
horizon of Dresden.
649
00:36:43,913 --> 00:36:45,858
[Narrator] Although
not popular with everyone,
650
00:36:45,882 --> 00:36:48,518
it's the design
the city settles on.
651
00:36:56,859 --> 00:37:00,072
[Narrator] When construction
starts in 2004,
652
00:37:00,096 --> 00:37:04,142
the first challenge is making
sure the 128-year-old building
653
00:37:04,166 --> 00:37:07,970
isn't destroyed by the new
15,000-ton addition.
654
00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:14,853
[Ellie] Adding an extension is
potentially fraught with danger.
655
00:37:14,877 --> 00:37:17,990
Any new load bearing down on the
existing building
656
00:37:18,014 --> 00:37:20,959
could cause it to fracture
and even crack.
657
00:37:20,983 --> 00:37:24,263
It's hard to be sure
how strong the foundations are,
658
00:37:24,287 --> 00:37:26,131
how it was constructed.
659
00:37:26,155 --> 00:37:28,667
It could have experienced
settlement over the decades.
660
00:37:28,691 --> 00:37:31,594
So you have to proceed
with extreme caution.
661
00:37:32,128 --> 00:37:34,573
[Narrator] Delicately,
they slice away 15%
662
00:37:34,597 --> 00:37:36,441
of the original building.
663
00:37:36,465 --> 00:37:38,310
[Daniel]
It's like a brain surgery.
664
00:37:38,334 --> 00:37:41,046
You have to have the scalpel and
all the precision instruments.
665
00:37:41,070 --> 00:37:42,681
You have to know exactly
where you're cutting
666
00:37:42,705 --> 00:37:45,551
and what you're doing.
667
00:37:45,575 --> 00:37:48,453
[Narrator] As well as carefully
removing part of the building,
668
00:37:48,477 --> 00:37:50,989
the engineers need
to strengthen the foundations
669
00:37:51,013 --> 00:37:53,316
where the new structure
will be built.
670
00:38:07,163 --> 00:38:09,374
[Narrator] A network of more
than a hundred slimline
671
00:38:09,398 --> 00:38:14,112
steel reinforced piles is sunk
10 feet under the building
672
00:38:14,136 --> 00:38:19,041
ready for a huge new reinforced
concrete slab to be laid on top.
673
00:38:22,244 --> 00:38:25,591
The delicate, but incredibly
strong foundation system
674
00:38:25,615 --> 00:38:27,893
will support the new extension
675
00:38:27,917 --> 00:38:31,287
without ruining the original
19th-century building.
676
00:38:35,191 --> 00:38:36,935
Now they can turn
their attention
677
00:38:36,959 --> 00:38:40,072
to the extension's
concrete shell
678
00:38:40,096 --> 00:38:45,167
featuring 100-foot-high walls
set at extraordinary angles.
679
00:39:11,060 --> 00:39:13,405
[Narrator] The engineers
use 3D computer modeling
680
00:39:13,429 --> 00:39:17,976
to calculate how thick these
great angled walls need to be.
681
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,479
Then they're built
from reinforced concrete
682
00:39:20,503 --> 00:39:24,140
while huge temporary steel beams
hold the whole thing up.
683
00:39:37,420 --> 00:39:39,831
[Narrator] The heavy new
structure is carefully built
684
00:39:39,855 --> 00:39:43,492
around the old stonework arches.
685
00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:48,664
The building is at its most
vulnerable since 1945.
686
00:39:49,131 --> 00:39:54,012
It's like in a heart transplant
where you hold a patient
687
00:39:54,036 --> 00:39:58,884
on a machine pumping blood
and air to the lungs
688
00:39:58,908 --> 00:40:01,911
while you're changing
the heart of a building.
689
00:40:03,879 --> 00:40:05,791
[Narrator]
That's not the only issue.
690
00:40:05,815 --> 00:40:09,027
The team is struggling to get
a concrete mix that will give
691
00:40:09,051 --> 00:40:12,354
the walls the cast-iron
strength they need.
692
00:40:29,138 --> 00:40:31,216
[Narrator] Finally through
trial and error,
693
00:40:31,240 --> 00:40:34,777
they find the right recipe
for the concrete.
694
00:40:36,679 --> 00:40:38,924
The building goes up
story by story
695
00:40:38,948 --> 00:40:42,151
until finally
the concrete roof goes on.
696
00:40:45,321 --> 00:40:46,598
Now all that's left
697
00:40:46,622 --> 00:40:50,335
is to create the imposing
100-foot steel exterior
698
00:40:50,359 --> 00:40:52,738
with the awe-inspiring
viewing platform
699
00:40:52,762 --> 00:40:55,397
pointing towards Dresden.
700
00:40:56,298 --> 00:40:59,444
It needs to protrude from
the front of the old museum
701
00:40:59,468 --> 00:41:03,405
without destabilizing the
fragile 19th-century facade.
702
00:41:07,843 --> 00:41:10,355
Using a master stroke
of illusion,
703
00:41:10,379 --> 00:41:13,382
the new addition
barely touches the old.
704
00:41:34,336 --> 00:41:37,649
[Narrator] The engineers wait
nervously as the steel arrowhead
705
00:41:37,673 --> 00:41:39,809
is hoisted into position.
706
00:41:48,617 --> 00:41:51,830
[Daniel] I think the most
nerve-wracking day was the day
707
00:41:51,854 --> 00:41:55,066
of seeing the two forms
708
00:41:55,090 --> 00:41:57,569
in complete integrity
709
00:41:57,593 --> 00:41:59,104
speaking to each other.
710
00:41:59,128 --> 00:42:01,488
I think that's really the moment
where you hold your breath.
711
00:42:04,166 --> 00:42:05,944
[Narrator] It's a big success,
712
00:42:05,968 --> 00:42:10,081
as 21st-century steel meets
19th-century brick
713
00:42:10,105 --> 00:42:13,042
and Libeskind's sketch
becomes a living building.
714
00:42:56,485 --> 00:42:59,231
[Narrator] After seven long
years of construction,
715
00:42:59,255 --> 00:43:02,601
the Bundeswehr Military Museum
finally re-opens
716
00:43:02,625 --> 00:43:04,193
to the people of Dresden.
717
00:43:19,275 --> 00:43:22,554
[Narrator] Old is perfectly
intwined with new,
718
00:43:22,578 --> 00:43:27,325
and the added 330,000 square
feet of exhibition space
719
00:43:27,349 --> 00:43:31,630
finally meets Germany's
difficult history head on.
720
00:43:31,654 --> 00:43:32,998
[Daniel] I love that museum.
721
00:43:33,022 --> 00:43:35,367
It's, you know,
so precisely built.
722
00:43:35,391 --> 00:43:41,339
It's so straight-forward,
it speaks to everyone.
723
00:43:41,363 --> 00:43:43,708
I want to make sure
that people understand
724
00:43:43,732 --> 00:43:47,245
what the stakes are for us
human beings in this history.
725
00:43:47,269 --> 00:43:53,208
[music]