‎Vertical City: Rediscovering Great Heights Around the World - Apple TV

TV Show · Documentary · Travel

Take a high rise hike around the globe's most iconic skyscrapers. Scaling the tallest towers across the world, architects Charlie Luxton and Matt Berman leave the bustling streets to see these extravagant buildings from great heights and unique perspectives. Guided by the world's bravest window washers, Vertical City rediscovers some of the boldest and most ambitious examples of architecture.

2008 · 27m

EPISODE 2

Turning Torso, Malmo

Every major city has a symbolic piece of architecture that projects its image to the world, but what happens when a city loses not only its trademark industry, but its trademark icon? This is exactly the problem that faced the city of Malmo in Sweden. To recover, they built a radical skyscraper, but daring design always courts controversy. The whole project nearly ended in disaster.
EPISODE 10

Canada Square, London

In 1991, One Canada Square, the UK's tallest skyscraper, changed the London skyline. The developers took a billion dollar gamble on creating an international financial center, symbolized by this obelisk-shaped tower. Unfortunately, when the world property market collapsed just after the complex was completed, the developers went bankrupt and a large part of the tower lay in darkness...
EPISODE 2

375 Park Avenue, New York

375 Park Avenue in New York was built in 1958 by the king of Modernist design, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and changed skyscraper design forever. It has inspired the square glass blocks of every global skyline. Behind its revolutionary façade lies a story of how a skyscraper that couldn't afford to be built found its way, and how its creator managed to realize his 40 year architectural dream.
EPISODE 4

Naberezhnaya Tower, Moscow

Naberezhnaya Tower represents a new era for Moscow, one in which it can finally compete with the other major financial centers of the world. Many skyscrapers are currently being built, pushing the parameters of both height and skyscraper design in Europe. These extraordinary towers represent the final realization of a modern high rise Moscow, one that was once only dreamt of.
EPISODE 6

John Hancock Tower, Boston

Behind the glistening façade of Boston's John Hancock Tower lies one of the most embarrassing moments in architectural history. An act of arrogance that turned this dream tower into a nightmare. What followed is one of the most unbelievable tales, involving collapsing foundations, windows falling out, and a skyscraper that was likely to topple over.
EPISODE 8

John Hancock Center, Chicago

The John Hancock Center was completed in 1969. The tallest tower outside New York City uses state of the art computing and steel technologies. The designers revolutionized the way skyscrapers were built and created a true masterpiece of engineering... but cutting edge construction always courts controversy, and Chicago wasn't convinced it wanted this enormous dark hulk on its skyline.

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