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In 1991, One Canada Square, the UK's tallest skyscraper, changed the London skyline. But the Cesar Pelli-designed icon did not rise up in the heart of the British capital. As this program describes, the developers undertook a billion-dollar gamble by creating an international financial center, symbolized by this obelisk-shaped tower, in the city's East End docklands. Viewers will learn about the complicated political and economic cooperation that...
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What happens when a city loses its trademark industry and the trademark architectural icon that goes with it? That was the problem facing the Swedish shipbuilding city of Malmo when the Kockums Crane was dismantled in 2002. This program illustrates the city's radical solution-a dramatic reinvention of its skyline and its socioeconomic image with the Turning Torso apartment building. Viewers will learn about the tower's unique sculptural origins, its...
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For 25 years it was the tallest building in the world, and it still holds that title in the United States. However, when the $175-million Sears Tower was completed in 1973, it broke boundaries not only in height but in design and construction methods as well. This program examines architect Bruce Graham's innovations and their intended results-including better light, better ventilation, and better conditions for workers. Viewers are introduced to...
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"In history, myth often abides. It was long assumed that the centuries immediately prior to AD 1000 were lacking in any major cultural developments or geopolitical encounters, that the Europeans hadn't yet discovered North America, that the farthest anyone had traveled over sea was the Vikings' invasion of Britain. But how, then, to explain the presence of blonde-haired people in Mayan temple murals in Chichen Itza, Mexico? Could it be possible that...
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As globally recognized landmarks go, the Sydney Opera House is tough to beat. But the city of Melbourne has impressive features of its own. This program looks at the high life while going down under-exploring Melbourne's 300-meter Eureka Tower, the tallest residential building in the world and the most exclusive address in the southern hemisphere. Featuring interviews with architect Nonda Katsalidis and developer Benni Aroni, the episode provides...
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Once a trendy haven for beach bums, Surfers Paradise is fast becoming the Miami of the southern hemisphere, thanks to developers aiming to make it a resort for the rich and famous. Surfers' skyline is changing too, with the massive Q1 Tower now dominating the landscape. This program looks at the imposing structure from more than one angle, studying its extraordinary design elements while asking: how has its pristine environment been affected? Viewers...
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This site is one of the most impressive testimonies to the Mayan-Toltec civilization of the Yucatán (10th to 15th centuries). It contains some of the most outstanding examples of Central American architecture, combining Mayan construction techniques and Toltec sculpted decoration.
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About 60 miles east of Mexico City, at the foot of Popocatépetl volcano, Puebla was founded ex nihilo in 1531. The great religious buildings of Puebla such as the cathedral (16th and 17th centuries), superb palaces like the old Archbishop's Palace, as well as a host of houses whose walls are covered in tiles (azulejos) have been preserved.
90) Wild Extremes
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The most extreme and wild parts of New Zealand are in the South Island, which lies towards Antarctica, in the path of the tempestuous "roaring forties." This is home to some of the most rapidly rising mountains in the world, the Southern Alps. From hyper-intelligent parrots to sinister snails with teeth and magical constellations of glow-worms, this is the story of New Zealand's wildest places and its most resilient pioneers, all of whom must embrace...
91) Agriculture
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Before agriculture, early humans were hunter-gatherers, moving from place to place to follow herds of animals. The development of agriculture gave rise to the beginning of civilization and cities. Learn about the origins of agriculture, the science of soil, the needs of plants, farming techniques, and the future of farming.
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No setting is more important in the history of office tower design than the famous skyline of Manhattan. After the 9/11 attacks scarred the cityscape, architects began to rethink the priorities involved in dramatically vertical building design. This episode profiles 7 World Trade Center, the first building to be constructed on Ground Zero. Viewers will encounter the structure's surprising shape-a result of changes in its downtown environment-and discover...
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It is an increasingly common scenario: a developer wants to build a tower in a depressed urban area, and must fill half the building before permits are issued. What's the ace in the hole? A superstar architect who brings media attention to the project. This program recounts such a story, in which Petronas Towers and Canary Wharf creator Cesar Pelli waved his magic design wand over the Cira Center project, making it stand apart from other Philadelphia...
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Located on the west coast of Greenland, 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord is the sea mouth of Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the few glaciers through which the Greenland ice cap reaches the sea. Moving at a rate of approximately 60 feet per day, Sermeq Kujalleq is one of the fastest and most active glaciers in the world. It annually calves more than 8 cubic miles of ice—10% of the production of all Greenland calf ice...
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To call this trek an ambitious hike would be something of an understatement. In National Geographic's AFRICA EXTREME Wildlife Conservation Society ecologist, Dr. Michael Fay, sets out to survey the biological richness of an entire forest ecosystem under pressure. His journey, named the Megatransect, was inspired by a desire to conserve the central African forests he loves. It takes the team on foot, from the flatlands of northern Congo, across twelve...