IMPOSSIBLE BUILDS

By Jennifer Robinson / Web Producer

Published February 6, 2018 at 10:51 AM PST

The Scorpion Tower marketing - waterfront finished concept.

Encore Monday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / On demand now with KPBS Passport!

Learn about the creation of some of the world’s most ambitious and technologically advanced buildings in the three-part series, IMPOSSIBLE BUILDS. From subaquatic homes to futuristic towers and pencil thin skyscrapers, see how these previously impossible structures are taking shape.

Learn about the creation of some of the world’s most ambitious and technologically advanced buildings. From subaquatic homes to futuristic towers and pencil thin skyscrapers, see how these previously impossible structures are taking shape.

EPISODE GUIDE:

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“The Scorpion Tower” On demand now with KPBS Passport - In the heart of downtown Miami, a skyscraper like no other is rising. The curvaceous design is radical and the method of construction nothing short of revolutionary. The Scorpion Tower is the brainchild of superstar architect Dame Zaha Hadid, and it’s a 62-story luxury residence with a difference.

Unlike most other skyscrapers, the Scorpion Tower features an insect-like external skeleton where the supporting columns are on the outside of the building. The curvaceous design is so radical, construction experts have turned to a building material never before used in skyscraper construction.

The Scorpion Tower’s head of interiors, Mark Morabito, must conduct a floor-by-floor inspection of the building every day. However, due to the build’s unique curved design, no two floors are the same, and it’s during one of these inspections that Mark spots an alignment issue with the lights and sprinklers.

It’s called glass fiber reinforced concrete, and the Scorpion Tower’s fluid columns will be formed from close to 5,000 individual panels. Each one will be precision made 8,000 miles away in Dubai and shipped to Miami for installation. If the untested method works, it could revolutionize the skyscraper industry and be a catalyst for super curvy buildings where straight lines are a thing of the past.

The exoskeleton of Zaha Hadid’s Scorpion Tower, officially known as One Thousand Museum, is created using glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC). Typically used as a decorative covering, these GFRC panels are instead being used as formwork — a mold for the concrete — to help support the structure and to create the smooth, luxurious finish from Hadid’s design

To support the 700-foot-tall tower, the construction team will have to mastermind one of the deepest foundation systems of its kind in Miami’s history. As the building work begins, the entire workforce is rocked by the sudden death of Zaha Hadid. Determined to complete the Scorpion Tower as a legacy to one of the most extraordinary architects in a generation, the team must now rewrite the rulebook as they take the pioneering building material to new heights.

To help transport construction materials and builders to different floors of the Scorpion Tower, the team uses two elevators attached to the building, known as buck hoists. Though the buck hoists are meant to ease the building process, the crew encounters a dilemma when they discover that the buck hoist tower has begun to lean away from the building.

“Europe In The Desert” On demand now with KPBS Passport - Austrian property developer Josef Kleindienst has a dream — to transform six barren sand islands poking out of the Persian Gulf into the most luxurious holiday destination on earth. His plans are ambitious and costly. He’s spending tens of millions of dollars to re-create the essence of Europe across six artificial islands located 2.5 miles off the coast of Dubai.

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Landscape Gardner Richard Westcott must create a “desert jungle” on the islands to create a sense of privacy between the villas, which only stand 30 feet away from one another. However, this is proving to be difficult as the island’s environment takes a toll some of the plant life that has been delivered for the landscape project.

Called the Heart of Europe, his six-million-square-foot resort will feature 14 hotels and 42 private residences, and will accommodate up to 16,000 people at any one time. To realize his dream, a team of specialists will have to endure extreme conditions and take on Mother Nature in order to transform inhospitable islands into a tropical haven fit for royalty. Sweden Island will be the most exclusive island in the resort, and if Kleindienst has his way, the world. It will feature just 10 villas, each with its own private beach and desert jungle.

Construction has commenced on Sweden Island and 400 cubic meters of concrete for the foundation are being poured. The construction team is in a race against the clock, with only seven hours to complete this task so that the concrete dries as one solid mass.

Prices start at a staggering $20 million dollars — and the first one has already been sold. The foundations have yet to be dug, but Kleindienst has agreed to have the villa move-in ready just 12 months. As the countdown to the deadline slips by, Kleindienst’s impulsive decisions and sky-high standards on just one building push construction way off schedule … and millions of dollars over budget.

Before construction can begin on the Heart of Europe resort, the sand must be compacted using “vibro compaction,” a method used to create a denser soil by moving the sand particles closer together. This helps strengthen the ground for the concrete foundations of the buildings planned for construction on each of the six islands.

“The Floating House” Encore Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV - Living beneath the waves has long been a science fiction fantasy, but architect Marco Bolzoni’s team in Dubai is trying to make it a reality. His project, called the Seahorse, is a floating villa combining the best of land and marine design.

The Seahorse during construction, Dubai.

Above the waterline, it promises two floors of ultra-luxurious living space. Downstairs is another world. The floating Seahorse hopes to offer the first underwater bedroom, complete with coral garden. Bolzoni is so confident his design will work that he’s decided to commence production of a full-scale prototype. The only issue is – he has no experience in this field. If his calculations are not spot on, he could find himself and his multi-million dollar villa in deep water.

"Ice World" Encore Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV - Over the top, ambitious and nature-defying -China's incredible Ice World will transform37 acres of sub-tropical quarry into a sub-zero ski resort. The construction team will have to battle the worst nature can throw at them. But If they can pull it off -they'll make science fiction a reality.

Architect Gregg Pasquarelli and his team are eager to redefine the limits of skyscrapers — a design that will present unprecedented challenges to the building’s construction. In May 2015, led by Project Superintendent Anthony Vivelo, the construction team began digging out the foundation for the Skinny Skyscraper on Manhattan’s “Billionaire’s Row.”

"Skinny Skyscraper" Encore Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV - In Manhattan, architects and engineers are redefining just how much land it takes to support a skyscraper. In a city where the only direction to build is up, they've designed a needle-thin tower 82 stories high, built on the construction equivalent of a postage stamp.

After draining out the quarry’s water, the Ice World team discovers the quarry’s floor structure is not as stable as what was anticipated. As a result, the engineering team must go back to the drawing board to rethink the design of the building.

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All episodes are available 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.

CREDITS: Produced by Blink Films, Discovery Networks Europe and France Television.

IMPOSSIBLE BUILDS

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