Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Arts & Culture

SUPER SKYSCRAPERS: One World Trade Center

One World Trade Center at night.
Courtesy of Blink Films UK
One World Trade Center at night.

Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / On Demand

Watch now with KPBS Passport!

As urban space shrinks, we build higher and faster than ever before, creating a new generation of skyscrapers. Super skyscrapers are pushing the limits of engineering, technology and design to become greener, stronger, smarter and more luxurious than their predecessors.

This four-part series: "The Vertical City," "The Billionaire Building," "One World Trade Center," and "Building The Future," follows the creation of four extraordinary buildings, showcasing how they will revolutionize the way we live, work and protect ourselves from potential threats.

Advertisement

One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the western hemisphere and a famous modern landmark, is engineered to be the safest and strongest skyscraper ever built.

This episode follows the final year of exterior construction, culminating with the milestone of reaching the symbolic height of 1,776 feet.

Workers at One World Trade Center. This episode follows the final year of exterior construction, culminating with the milestone of reaching the symbolic height of 1,776 feet.
Courtesy of Blink Films UK
Workers at One World Trade Center. This episode follows the final year of exterior construction, culminating with the milestone of reaching the symbolic height of 1,776 feet.

For head of construction Steve Plate, as well as scientists, engineers, ironworkers and curtain wall installers, this is a construction job suffused with the history of the site and a sense of duty to rebuild from the ashes of Ground Zero.

This episode follows the final year of exterior construction of the One World Trade Center, culminating with the milestone of reaching the symbolic height of 1,776 feet.
Courtesy of Blink Films UK
This episode follows the final year of exterior construction of the One World Trade Center, culminating with the milestone of reaching the symbolic height of 1,776 feet.

“It’s clear that a new generation of buildings is rising around the world,” said Dan Oliver, executive producer at Blink Films. “They are extraordinarily complex, strong, tall and safer than ever. It was an amazing project to get behind the scenes in various stages of their development. We got an inside look at how today’s ever-improving technology is literally changing the game in construction, and the way global citizens are living their lives.”

One World Trade Center, daytime.
Courtesy of Blink Films UK
One World Trade Center, daytime.

Watch On Your Schedule:

Advertisement

Episodes are available on demand with KPBS Passport, a benefit for members supporting KPBS at $60 or more yearly, using your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire or Chromecast. Learn how to activate your benefit now.

Watch "One World Trade Center"

Watch "The Vertical City"

Watch "The Billionaire Building"

Watch "Building The Future"

This series originally aired in 2014.

Produced by Blink Films UK. The series is executive produced by Dan Oliver and Dan Chambers.