How Did They Build That?

In Manhattan, creative flair and groundbreaking designs have become rare exceptions. In Paris, they're often unwelcome. But the developers, architects, and engineers behind the "Jenga Tower" at 56 Leonard Street and the otherworldly Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris boldly flipped conventional engineering on its head. Discover the untold stories of how these astonishing structures were built. Then travel to Zhangjiajie, where we uncover the secrets behind the Hundred Dragons Elevator, a 1,000-foot-high lift hanging off the side of a cliff.

A bent Manhattan building that actually caused panic in the streets. A cultural center in Athens that features a massive floating roof in an earthquake zone. A university complex in stifling Singapore that was built without air conditioning. In this episode, we examine the American Copper Building, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, and "The Hive" at Nanyang Technical University, meeting the brilliant minds who designed and built them, and revealing their engineering secrets.

How did engineers design a glass dome big enough to house a mountain? How did builders tear apart and reconstruct a London railway station without disrupting service? And how did legendary architect Frank Gehry make a big impression in Vegas, not with a casino but with a jaw-dropping hospital? Witness modern design at its most daring and ingenious as we visit Singapore's Gardens by the Bay, the London Bridge station, and the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and reveal the stories and engineering secrets behind their construction.

How did engineering innovation allow for a bridge to stand 1,000 feet above the river it crosses? How did engineers flip the rule book upside down to build a hotel nestled into a 300-foot-deep abandoned quarry? And what happens when you attempt to build a forest in the sky in the middle of a city? Join us as we visit the Millau Viaduct in France, the Wonderland Hotel near Shanghai, and the Bosco Verticale in Milan and reveal the incredible stories and brilliant minds behind these remarkable structures.

When it comes to radical architects, you never know when inspiration will strike, but when it does, there are brilliant engineers and builders ready to turn those visions into stunning realities. In this episode, we travel to Belgium, where a forgotten firehouse has been transformed with an astonishing floating extension. Then we head to Manhattan, where a one of the world's tallest and thinnest residential skyscrapers is (somehow) still standing. Finally, we visit a Scottish museum that would've been impossible to build just 10 years ago.

How did Dutch engineers build a massive new horseshoe-shaped complex full of apartments on top of a swamp? How did the simple inspiration for a Chinese opera house lead to one of the most advanced buildings in the world? And how did a 180-year-old British structure find its place in the modern world? Meet the visionary designers and brilliant engineers behind the Rotterdam's Markthal, the Guangzhou Opera House, and the Great Court of the British Museum, and discover the behind-the-scenes stories of how they were built.

Across the globe, visionary architects and brilliant engineers are often asked to defy the odds-and sometimes gravity itself-in order to build something spectacular. This episode, we visit Singapore's Pinnacle@Duxton, featuring the world's longest sky gardens. Then we hit the beaches of Brighton to see how the 450-foot, ultra-slender i360 viewing tower survives the coastal winds. Finally, we head to Naples where a stunning new rail hub, the Napoli Afragola station, was built in the shadow of Vesuvius-an active volcano-and in an earthquake zone!

How did a team of engineers construct a futuristic, scientific research station in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth? How did builders make a nearly 4,000-ton concrete arch appear to levitate on top of a concert hall? And what went into creating the world's first rotating boat lift, capable of raising 500 tons of water and two boats 65 feet in the air? Travel to the Canary Islands, central Scotland, and the British Antarctic Territory and discover the architectural and engineering secrets of three remarkable structures.