Synopsis

What is involved in raising a structure that will span an entire city block? Consider 13,000 tons of steel, 36,000 cubic yards of concrete, enough wire and cables to extend from New York City to Boston, hundreds of skilled professionals, and two years of relentless effort. Welcome to Skyscraper 101. In the opening hour, we’ll examine how architects conceive a building's design and explore the new California Department of Transportation headquarters—a project we have been documenting for two year