Plot Synopsis

SKYSCRAPERS: ENGINEERING THE FUTURE is a one-hour documentary series highlights what the world's most ambitious cities are doing to transform their skylines with designs that seem to defy gravity. From Willis Tower to One World Trade Center, this six episode series unlocks the inner workings of these urban goliaths. From Chicago to London, Melbourne to Tokyo, each episode gives viewers a never-before-seen look at these herculean structures. The 2,722-feet Burj Khalifa in Dubai is not only the tallest building in the world, but the inspiration for a new generation of builders. In Singapore, the famed Marina Bay Sands hotel has challenged the concept of what a building's function can be, maximizing its connectivity to operate as a modern micro-city. SKYSCRAPERS: ENGINEERING THE FUTURE explores these structures:

- The 1,500 tall Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the 88-story landmark Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai

- Chicago's 82-story Aqua, a mixed-use skyscraper, and Melbourne's Eureka Tower, one of the tallest residential buildings in the world

- Dubai's Cayan Tower, known for 90-degree twist, and London's The Shard, the tallest building in the UK

In the series opener, "American-Made Marvels," the rise of the skyscraper coincided with the rise of America as a global superpower, and experts reveal how expert engineering and cutting-edge technology helped power humankind's race to conquer the sky.