Narrator: FIVE GENERATIONS OF ENGINEERS...
♪♪
...ARE ATTEMPTING THE IMPOSSIBLE.
IT'S LIKE MAGIC, NO?
Narrator: THEY'RE WORKING TO BUILD AN EXTRAORDINARY
AND COMPLEX SUPERSTRUCTURE --
THE WORLD'S TALLEST CHURCH.
WHEN COMPLETE, THIS ARCHITECTURAL MARVEL
WILL SOAR MORE THAN 565 FEET IN THE AIR
AND BECOME ONE OF THE WORLD'S
MOST BOLDLY-DESIGNED HOUSES OF WORSHIP.
I WALKED IN, AND IT WAS, LIKE, GOOSE BUMPS.
TO BUILD THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND MASTERPIECE,
THE TEAM MUST BATTLE DEADLY WINDS...
WE CANNOT AFFORD ANY DELAY, ANY DISASTER, ANY MISTAKE.
Narrator: ...AND EXTREME HEIGHTS.
YOU'RE CRAZY.
♪♪
Narrator: THIS INCREDIBLE TEMPLE
RANKS IN A LEAGUE OF AMBITIOUS ENGINEERING WONDERS
THAT ARE BIGGER, FASTER,
TALLER, AND MORE ADVANCED
THAN ANYTHING EVER CONSTRUCTED BEFORE.
THIS IS THE INSIDE STORY OF THE EXTRAORDINARY RACE
TO BUILD THESE GIANTS.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
♪♪
IN BARCELONA, SPAIN, ONE OF THE WORLD'S
MOST HISTORIC AND BEAUTIFUL CITIES...
...WORKERS HAVE BEEN LABORING ACROSS FIVE GENERATIONS
TO BUILD ONE OF THE MOST ARCHITECTURALLY COMPLEX CHURCHES
EVER CONCEIVED...
...SAGRADA FAMíLIA.
♪♪
ONLY PARTIALLY BUILT AFTER 135 YEARS
AND CURRENTLY SOARING 330 FEET HIGH,
THIS AWE-INSPIRING CHURCH
ALREADY ATTRACTS 4 1/2 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR.
BUT NOW, THE END OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY BUILDING
MAY FINALLY BE IN SIGHT.
♪♪
BUILDING BEGAN ON THIS AMBITIOUS CHURCH IN 1882.
♪♪
WORKERS FIRST BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION
OF A TRADITIONAL GOTHIC CRYPT.
THE TEMPLE'S NATIVITY FACADE
WITH ITS 330-FOOT-HIGH BELL TOWERS
WERE FINISHED IN 1936.
IT'S TAKEN OVER 50 YEARS TO BUILD THE EPIC PASSION FACADE...
...THEN CONSTRUCT THE VAST CENTRAL NAVE,
VAULTING, AND TRANSEPTS
TO FORM THE LAUNCHPAD
FOR SIX MIGHTY TOWERS YET TO BE BUILT.
♪♪
BUT COMPLETING THIS GIANT WON'T BE EASY,
AND TAKING ON THE FINAL LEG OF THIS JOURNEY
IS CHIEF ARCHITECT JORDI FAULí.
♪♪
HIS BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS TO COMPLETE THE BASILICA
WITH BARELY ANY PLANS.
SAGRADA FAMíLIA'S ORIGINAL VISIONARY ARCHITECT,
ANTONI GAUDí, DIED ALMOST 100 YEARS AGO,
AND FEW BLUEPRINTS HAVE SURVIVED.
IT'S A GREAT ENGINEERING MYSTERY.
THEY'VE ONLY GOTTEN THIS FAR BY COPYING OLD PHOTOGRAPHS
OF MODELS AND 100-YEAR-OLD SKETCHES.
♪♪
GAUDí WAS A TRUE ARCHITECTURAL MAVERICK,
PIONEERING UNIQUE GEOMETRIC FORMS
INSPIRED BY THE NATURE AROUND HIM -- TREES...
...ANIMALS,
MOUNTAINS.
HE WORKED IN A STYLE NEVER SEEN BEFORE OR SINCE.
♪♪
THIS IS GAUDí'S OTHERWORLDLY VISION,
THE GIANT JORDI AND HIS TEAM MUST SOMEHOW COMPLETE.
♪♪
THREE HUGE FACADES WILL TELL THE STORY OF JESUS,
REPRESENTING HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS.
SIX ENORMOUS CENTRAL TOWERS
WILL ALMOST DOUBLE THE HEIGHT OF THE TEMPLE,
MAKING IT THE WORLD'S TALLEST CHURCH AT 565 FEET TALL.
COSTING AN ESTIMATED $1.2 BILLION
AND ALMOST 145 YEARS IN THE MAKING,
SAGRADA FAMíLIA WILL BE ONE OF THE WORLD'S
MOST EXTRAORDINARY STRUCTURES.
♪♪
NOW WE ARE FOCUSED IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE SIX CENTRAL TOWERS.
WHEN THE TOWERS WILL BE FINISHED,
THE SKYLINE OF BARCELONA WILL CHANGE.
Narrator: COMPLETING SAGRADA FAMíLIA'S LANDMARK TOWERS
INVOLVES A SERIES OF UNIQUE ENGINEERING CHALLENGES.
THEY PLAN TO RAISE THE TOWERS IN LEVELS,
FORMED FROM PREASSEMBLED PANELS.
MOST PANELS WILL BE MADE UP OF 16 BLOCKS OF STONE.
THE TEAM MUST CONSTRUCT SPIRAL STAIRCASES
INSIDE FOUR OF THE TOWERS AS THEY RISE UP.
ELABORATE STONE FRIEZES AND EXQUISITE STAINED GLASS
WILL ADORN THE LARGER TOWERS.
♪♪
THE TEAM IS AIMING TO COMPLETE THE SAGRADA FAMíLIA
BEFORE THE CENTENARY OF GAUDí'S DEATH, JUST 9 YEARS FROM NOW.
THE FIRST CHALLENGE IS TO SOURCE THE STONE
TO BUILD THE TOWERS AND FACADES.
GAUDí'S WORKERS USED LOCAL STONE FROM THE MOUNTAIN OF MONTJUIC,
WHICH IS A UNIQUE MULTICOLORED STONE.
YOU CAN SEE THE STONE OF MONTJUIC CAN BE RED,
CAN BE GRAY,
CAN BE KIND OF YELLOW, CLOSE TO ORANGE-BROWN, THAT GRAY.
IT GIVES A VERY RICH-COLORED WALL.
Narrator: BUT JORDI'S TEAM HAS A MASSIVE PROBLEM.
THE MONTJUIC STONE QUARRY IS NOW CLOSED,
SO THEY MUST FIND A WAY
TO REPLICATE THE LOOK OF MONTJUIC STONE.
♪♪
SO PAU MUST SOURCE THE STONE FOR THE TOWERS
FROM 70 QUARRIES AROUND THE WORLD --
GRANITE BLUE BAHIA FROM BRAZIL,
RED PORPHYRY FROM IRAN,
AND THE ONLY QUARRY THAT CAN DELIVER
THE RIGHT SHADE OF LIGHT BROWN
BUFF GRITSTONE IS IN LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND.
♪♪
Armstrong: WE GOT A CALL FROM BARCELONA WANTING TO SUPPLY STONE
TO THE SAGRADA FAMíLIA.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS A HOAX, TO BE HONEST.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS A JOKE.
Narrator: QUARRY MANAGER EMMA ARMSTRONG MUST DELIVER OVER 300 TONS
OF BUFF GRITSTONE EACH WEEK FOR THE CHURCH.
THE QUALITY OF OUR STONE IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT
TO THE PROJECT IN BARCELONA
BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T OF THE STRENGTH
AND RESILIENCE THAT IT IS,
BASICALLY, THE TOWERS WOULDN'T STAND UP ON THEIR OWN.
IT'D COLLAPSE.
WHAT ARE WE UP TO NEXT, MATE?
WHAT'S NEXT STAGE?
Narrator: NATURALLY OCCURRING HAIRLINE CRACKS
RUN THROUGH THE ROCK,
BUT EMMA'S TEAM WILL ACTUALLY USE THESE EXISTING FISSURES
TO BREAK THE STONE OUT.
SO IT'S TAKEN THIS CORNER OUT BASICALLY.
IT'S JUST TAKING THAT OUT TO GET BACK...
AND THEN WORK YOUR WAY. ...LEVEL WITH IT OUT.
TO EXTRACT EVERY TON OF GRITSTONE FOR SAGRADA FAMíLIA...
EMMA IS RELYING ON BLAST ENGINEER MICK TOODLE.
WE SAY, "THERE'S NO PRESSURE,"
BUT ALL DOWN TO ONE MAN, LITTLE MICK.
I'M GOING TO DRILL AN HOLE, AND THEN YOU PUT YOUR CHARGE IN.
♪♪
Narrator: MICK INSERTS THE DYNAMITE AND GETS THE ROCK READY
FOR THE EXPLOSION.
♪♪
Narrator: THE ENGINEERS OF THE LANDMARK SAGRADA FAMíLIA CHURCH
MUST SOURCE STONE FROM ACROSS THE PLANET
TO CREATE ITS SIGNATURE LOOK,
INCLUDING STONE FROM THIS ENGLISH QUARRY.
THE EXPLOSION FREES THE 10-TON BLOCK.
NOW THE TEAM MUST CAREFULLY TEASE IT AWAY FROM THE ROCK FACE
WITHOUT DAMAGING IT.
MICK AND EMMA MUST DELIVER ALMOST 120,000 TONS OF STONE
FOR SAGRADA FAMíLIA.
EVERY BLOCK MUST BE FLAWLESS.
Armstrong: WE DO GO AS FAST AS WE CAN, BUT IT IS A VERY PRECISE PROCESS,
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN'T BE RUSHED.
BEING A SMALL FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS
OVER HERE IN LANCASHIRE,
IT IS QUITE HUMBLING BUT ALSO VERY SATISFYING
THAT WE'RE SUPPLYING THE STONE TO COMPLETE
THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED RELIGIOUS MONUMENT IN THE WORLD.
♪♪
Narrator: THE STONE IS SHIPPED TO THIS YARD JUST OUTSIDE OF BARCELONA.
♪♪
NOW THEY CAN START WORK ERECTING THE SIX CENTRAL TOWERS.
IT'S TAKEN OVER 3 YEARS OF DETECTIVE WORK
TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW TO DESIGN
AND ASSEMBLE THE TOWERS' INTRICATE STONEWORK.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE TOWERS' HEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS
WERE A COMPLETE MYSTERY.
FEW CLUES SURVIVE, SUCH AS THIS SILHOUETTE SKETCH
CREATED IN THE EARLY PART OF GAUDí'S LIFE
FOR A COMPLETELY UNTESTED DESIGN
THAT SEEMED TO DEFY PHYSICS.
THIS IS ONE OTHER CLUE THAT THE TEAM HAD TO GO ON --
A MODEL BUILT AROUND 100 YEARS AGO.
THIS RECONSTRUCTED MODEL IS OF A SMALL, SQUAT TOWER
CALLED THE SACRISTY
THAT GAUDí DESIGNED TO BE BUILT AT THE REAR OF THE BASILICA.
THE SACRISTY ALSO HOLDS THE KEY TO THE SHAPE OF THE CHURCHES'
SIX MAIN TOWERS.
ARCHITECT ESTEVE UMBERT HAS BEEN TRYING TO UNLOCK ITS SECRETS.
THE SMALL BITS BELONGS TO THE ORIGINAL MODEL.
JUST BY HAVING A SMALL BIT OF A SURFACE,
WE COULD RECONSTRUCT THE WHOLE THING.
Narrator: ESTEVE'S TEAM USED THE MODEL TO BUILD THE FULL-SIZE
130-FOOT-HIGH SACRISTY TOWER,
AND THE SECRETS OF THE MAIN TOWERS' DIMENSIONS
ARE ALSO CONTAINED IN THE GEOMETRY
OF THE SMALLER SACRISTY TOWER.
SO ESTEVE USES POWERFUL SOFTWARE
TO REPRODUCE THE SACRISTY GEOMETRY.
♪♪
METICULOUS DETECTIVE WORK MAY HAVE REVEALED
THE BLUEPRINTS FOR THE SIX TOWERS,
BUT BUILDING THEM WILL TAKE SOME INGENIOUS ENGINEERING.
♪♪
IN THE BEAUTIFUL, PEACEFUL CATALONIAN COUNTRYSIDE...
♪♪
...THE TOWERS' CONSTRUCTION IS WELL UNDERWAY.
THE CHURCH'S CITY-CENTER PLOT IS CRAMMED,
SO WORKERS PREASSEMBLE SECTIONS OF THE TOWERS
AT THIS OPEN-AIR SITE 50 MILES AWAY.
HERE, YOU CAN SEE IT'S LIKE A FACTORY.
HERE, WE BUILD THE SAGRADA FAMíLIA.
Narrator: IN CHARGE OF TURNING THE ARCHITECT'S PLANS INTO REALITY
IS VETERAN BUILDER JAUME TORREGUITART.
HE'S WORKING OUT HOW TO BUILD THE TOWERS AT HIGH SPEED.
♪♪
HOISTING EVERY STONE FOR THE TOWERS UP TO THE TOP
OF SAGRADA FAMíLIA INDIVIDUALLY
WOULD TAKE ALMOST 50 YEARS
AND WOULD REQUIRE AROUND 14,000 SEPARATE CRANE LIFTS...
♪♪
...SO JAUME'S TEAM PLANS TO BUILD THE TOWERS
IN SMALL SECTIONS CALLED PANELS.
SIXTEEN BLOCKS OF STONE MAKE UP THESE PANELS.
EIGHT PANELS MAKE UP ONE TOWER LEVEL.
ONCE A LEVEL IS COMPLETED,
JAUME'S TEAM NEEDS TO TRUCK THE PANELS TO BARCELONA.
ON-SITE, THEY PLAN TO USE A CRANE
TO HOIST THEM UP TO THE TOP OF SAGRADA FAMíLIA
AND SLOT THEM INTO A STEEL FRAME.
THIS NOVEL BUT UNTESTED TECHNIQUE
SHOULD ALLOW THEM TO CONSTRUCT THE TOWERS
16 TIMES FASTER THAN BUILDING THEM BLOCK BY BLOCK.
[ SPEAKING SPANISH ]
Torreguitart: WE WILL BUILD THE NEXT 3 YEARS 856 PANELS.
IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND LESS TIME.
Narrator: JAUME'S TEAM IS AT A CRITICAL PHASE.
IT'S BUILD THE FIRST PANELS FOR THE FIRST TOWERS.
THEY ASSEMBLE EACH PANEL AGAINST THIS GREEN FRAME.
IT ENSURES THAT ALL EIGHT PANELS FIT TOGETHER PERFECTLY.
IN THIS PANEL, THERE ARE 16 STONES.
♪♪
WE PUT THE STONE IN ITS CORRECT PLACE,
PUT THE MORTAR TO BE IN THIS PLACE FOREVER.
Narrator: FOUR BOLTS WILL LOCK THE PANELS
INTO THE STEEL FRAME ON THE TOWER.
DURING INSTALLATION AT THE TOP OF SAGRADA FAMíLIA,
250 FEET ABOVE BARCELONA, EVERY BOLT HOLE MUST ALIGN EXACTLY,
OR THE PANELS WILL BE LEFT HANGING.
♪♪
SURVEYORS USE LASERS TO CHECK THE DIMENSIONS OF EACH PANEL,
TO BE SURE THE BOLTS WILL FIT
AND SECURE THE PANELS IN PLACE ON TOP OF THE TOWER.
♪♪
IT TAKES 3 WEEKS TO BUILD THE FIRST LEVEL OF PANELS
FOR THE FIRST TOWER,
BUT WILL THEY ALIGN?
THE BATCH OF PANELS SURVIVES THEIR CROSS-COUNTRY TREK
AND ARRIVES IN BARCELONA UNDAMAGED.
♪♪
THIS IS THE DAY OF THE BIG LIFT.
♪♪
THIS IS THE ULTIMATE TEST.
JAUME'S TEAM MUST HOIST EACH 7-TON PANEL
250 FEET TO THE TOP OF SAGRADA FAMíLIA,
SLOT THEM DOWN INTO A STEEL HOLDING FRAME,
THEN BOLT THEM INTO PLACE.
ONLY THEN WILL THEY DISCOVER IF THIS UNIQUE,
UNTESTED CONSTRUCTION METHOD WORKS IN PRACTICE.
WELL, TODAY, FOR US, IS A SPECIAL DAY.
FOR US IS PROOF BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST TIME,
BUT WE ARE GOING TO ASSEMBLE THIS PIECE IN ITS CORRECT PLACE.
Narrator: JAUME'S CREW SECURES THE FIRST PANEL
TO THE 460-FOOT-HIGH TOWER CRANE BUILT INTO THE BASILICA.
♪♪
THEY HOLD THEIR BREATH AS THE LIFT BEGINS.
♪♪
Narrator: IN BARCELONA,
ENGINEERS ARE RELYING ON AN UNTESTED METHOD
TO BEGIN INSTALLING THE PANELS FOR THE EPIC TOWERS
THAT WILL TOP THE ICONIC SAGRADA FAMíLIA.
YEAH, GOING TO ASSEMBLE THE FIRST PANEL.
♪♪
[ CONVERSING IN SPANISH ]
♪♪
JAUME MUST TAKE THE STAIRS TO THE TOP OF SAGRADA FAMíLIA
TO OVERSEE ITS INSTALLATION.
Torreguitart: MOVE OVER IN THE LEFT.
♪♪
Narrator: LINING THE PANEL UP WITH THE TOWER'S FRAME ON ITS WALLS
TAKES EXPERT SKILLS.
♪♪
[ SPEAKING IN SPANISH ]
♪♪
THE FIRST PANEL FITS,
AND THE BOLTS SLIDE INTO PLACE.
♪♪
THIS PIECE IS HERE FOREVER, FOREVER.
♪♪
Narrator: BUT THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM CAN'T REST.
THEY WANT TO INSTALL THE ENTIRE LEVEL, EIGHT PANELS,
BEFORE NIGHTFALL,
BUT JUST AS THEY START TO LOWER THE SECOND PIECE
DOWN INTO PLACE,
THEY HIT A PROBLEM.
THIS SET OF BOLT HOLES DOESN'T LINE UP.
WE DON'T KNOW WHY, AND NOW WE NEED EFFORT A BIT MORE.
♪♪
Narrator: THIS MONUMENTAL BUILD HANGS IN THE BALANCE.
♪♪
THEY USE CLAMPS AND WRENCHES TO WRANGLE THE PANEL INTO PLACE.
♪♪
SOME EXTRA MUSCLE POWER FINALLY FORCES THE BOLT HOLES INTO LINE.
♪♪
JAUME'S CREW PUSHES HARD TO INSTALL THE REMAINING SIX PANELS
THAT MAKE UP THIS TOWER'S FIRST LEVEL.
WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THEM, AND WE WANT TO LIFT UP QUICKLY.
♪♪
Narrator: THEIR INNOVATIVE PREFABRICATED PANEL-BUILDING TECHNIQUE
IS WORKING.
♪♪
IT TAKES THE FULL DAY TO SLOT ALL EIGHT PANELS
THAT MAKE UP THE TOWER'S FIRST LEVEL INTO POSITION.
WE LEARN EVERY DAY ANOTHER NEW SYSTEM, ANOTHER NEW TECHNOLOGY.
♪♪
Narrator: COMPLETING WORK ON THE TOWERS WILL TAKE ALMOST
6,500 TONS OF STONE.
EMMA'S TEAM AT THE LANCASHIRE QUARRY
MUST CONTINUALLY PRODUCE TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND.
Armstrong: WE CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND FROM BARCELONA.
AS FAST AS WE CAN PRODUCE, THEY'RE USING IT.
♪♪
THE QUANTITY IS... IS GOOD.
Narrator: A GEOLOGIST FROM SAGRADA FAMíLIA MAKES REGULAR VISITS
TO CHECK THAT THE QUALITY OF THE STONE IS CONSISTENT.
Armstrong: IT IS A CRITICAL JOB
BECAUSE THE TOWERS HAVE TO BE STRUCTURALLY STRONG,
AND THIS STONE IS THE ONLY STONE
THAT THEY FOUND TO MATCH THE ORIGINAL.
THE QUALITY OF THE STONE IS PERFECT.
Narrator: ONCE EACH BATCH IS SIGNED OFF, SOME OF IT IS DELIVERED
TO THESE EXPERT CRAFTSMEN IN BARCELONA.
THEY SHAPE EACH PIECE BASED ON THE TEAM'S STUDY
OF GAUDí'S MODELS AND SKETCHES.
Man: WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE STONE, IT'S LIKE A CONNECTION
YOU SPEAK WITH IT AND IT SPEAKS WITH YOU.
Narrator: GALICIAN STONEMASONS EMILIO AND ALESSANDRO
ARE SCULPTING FLOWERS, LEAVES, AND LETTERS
THAT WILL FORM PART OF ONE RELIEF FOR THE TOWER EXTERIOR.
♪♪
Man: IT'S A VERY BIG JOB.
TO DO ALL THE STONES BY HAND WILL TAKE HALF A YEAR,
YES, I IF HAVE TO DO ALL BY HAND.
♪♪
Narrator: TO SPEED UP THE OPERATION, HIGHLY SPECIALIZED ROBOTS
FORM THE ROUGH OUTLINES OF THE FLOWERS AND PETALS.
♪♪
BUT ROBOTS CAN'T REPLACE THE DEXTERITY OF THE HUMAN HAND.
ONCE CUT, IT'S UP TO EMILIO AND ALESSANDRO
TO CARVE THE STONE RELIEFS.
Man: THE ROBOTS, THEY DON'T HAVE FEEL,
AND WE'RE BRINGING THE STONE TO LIFE.
WE BRING THE STONE TO LIFE WORKING BY HAND.
♪♪
Narrator: SMOOTH SURFACES ON THE LEAVES AND PETALS
MAKE THEM LOOK CLOSER.
♪♪
DEEPER, HARDER CHISEL STRIKES
GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF DISTANCE AND DEPTH.
♪♪
OH, IT'S LIKE MAGIC, NO, THE FIFTH DIMENSION.
Narrator: WITH THE HELP OF THE ROBOTS, EMILIO AND ALESSANDRO INCH
CLOSER TO COMPLETING THE COMPLEX STONE RELIEF.
♪♪
DURING THE TOWER DESIGN PHASE...
[ CONVERSING IN SPANISH ]
...ENGINEERS FACED ANOTHER CRITICAL CHALLENGE.
THEY HAD TO BE SURE THAT THE TOWERS
WOULD BE EARTHQUAKE-PROOF.
EUROPE HAS 1,100 GEOLOGICAL FAULT LINES
THAT TRIGGER UP TO 300 EARTHQUAKES EVERY YEAR.
THE TALLER THE TOWERS RISE,
THE MORE VULNERABLE THEY BECOME TO TREMORS
THAT MIGHT STRIKE THE REGION.
FORCES PUSHING FROM THE SIDES OF THE TOWERS, LIKE EARTHQUAKES,
COULD CAUSE THE PANELS TO COLLAPSE.
ANY LATERAL FORCES LIKE WIND OR EARTHQUAKES
WILL MAKE THIS BLOCKS FALL EASILY.
Narrator: PAU'S TEAM NEEDS TO SQUEEZE THE BLOCKS IN EACH PANEL
TOGETHER TO INCREASE THE RIGIDITY OF THE TOWERS.
Millet: SO IF WE PUT THE BLOCKS IN COMPRESSION
AND WE CAN AVOID THAT THIS BLOCKS COLLAPSE
WHEN THE WIND BLOWS OR THE EARTHQUAKES,
AND THEN THIS IS STABLE.
THERE'S NO WAY THIS CAN FALL.
♪♪
Narrator: THE EASIEST WAY TO COMPRESS THE STONES IN EACH PANEL
WOULD BE TO WRAP THEM IN STEEL CABLES.
BUT THIS WOULD RUIN THE LOOK OF THE TOWERS.
THEY MUST LOOK LIKE STONE FROM THE OUTSIDE.
ANOTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO BRACE THE TOWERS FROM THE INSIDE,
BUILDING A SUPPORTING FRAME OF STEELWORK,
BUT THIS WOULD BLOCK THE SPACE NEEDED
FOR THE SPIRAL STAIRCASES INSIDE.
IN ORDER TO BRACE THE WORLD'S TALLEST CHURCH
WITHOUT COMPROMISING ON ITS BOLD DESIGN,
ENGINEERS MUST COME UP WITH AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION.
♪♪
Narrator: IN BARCELONA, THE WORLD'S TALLEST CHURCH IS BEING BUILT,
BUT IN TRYING TO COMPRESS THE STONES FOR ITS ICONIC TOWERS...
Man: YOU CAN CONNECT TO THE STEEL COLUMN TO HOLD THE PANEL UP.
...THE ARCHITECTS GET HELP FROM A TEAM OF BRITISH ENGINEERS.
TOGETHER, THEY DEVISE AN INGENIOUS SOLUTION
THAT WON'T COMPROMISE GAUDí'S DESIGN.
SO WHEN WE HAVE EARTHQUAKES, THIS STEELWORK GIVES US
THE ABILITY TO BEND ELEMENTS AND ABSORB ENERGY.
THEIR SOLUTION IS TO INCORPORATE A SECRET STEEL SKELETON
INSIDE THE TOWER STONE.
SETS OF STEEL TENDONS WILL RUN THROUGH EACH PANEL.
TIGHTENING THESE TENDONS WILL LOCK THE STONES TOGETHER.
ONCE LOCKED INTO THE HIDDEN STEEL FRAME,
THE TOWERS LOOK LIKE SOLID STONE.
BRACED LIKE THIS, THEY CAN RESIST ALMOST ANY LATERAL FORCES
SUCH AS HIGH WINDS OR EARTHQUAKES.
THAT'S THE THEORY.
NOW THEY MUST PUT IT INTO PRACTICE.
Millet: WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN PRODUCTION,
AND IT'S TIME TO SEE, IN REALITY, HOW DOES IT WORK?
♪♪
Narrator: AT THE PREFABRICATION YARD JUST OUTSIDE BARCELONA,
JAUME'S TEAM MUST THREAD THESE STAINLESS-STEEL TENDONS
DOWN THROUGH THE NEXT BATCH OF TOWER PANELS.
♪♪
WORKERS USE HYDRAULIC JACKS TO PRESS THE BLOCKS TOGETHER
TO FORM A SOLID UNIT.
♪♪
AS THE JACKS SQUEEZE THE PANEL TIGHT,
THE TEAM TIGHTENS THE NUTS AT THE ENDS OF THE STEEL BARS
RUNNING THROUGH THE BLOCKS, LOCKING THEM IN PLACE.
♪♪
ON-SITE IN BARCELONA,
THE NEXT BATCH OF EARTHQUAKE-PROOF PANELS ARRIVES.
♪♪
NOW JAUME'S TEAM MUST BEGIN BUILDING THE LARGER TOWER
AT THE REAR OF THE TEMPLE.
EACH OF THESE PANELS WEIGHS 10 TONS,
3 TONS MORE THAN THE PANELS OF THE SMALLER TOWERS.
THAT'S A LOT OF EXTRA WEIGHT TO KEEP UNDER CONTROL.
THE ENEMY TODAY FOR US IS THE WIND.
A STRONG WIND CAN TAKE DOWN THE CRANE.
♪♪
Narrator: HEAVY ONSHORE WINDS FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA
BLASTS THE CITY, AND GUSTS AT THE TOP OF THE BASILICA
ARE FAR STRONGER THAN AT GROUND LEVEL.
AT THE MOMENT, THE WIND IS CORRECT,
AND WE ARE GOING TO START.
Narrator: CRANE DRIVER JOSE SCALES THE 460-FOOT-HIGH TOWER CRANE.
♪♪
[ SPEAKING IN SPANISH ]
IF THE WIND CATCHES THE 10-TON PANEL,
IT COULD ACT LIKE A SAIL, SWINGING WILDLY OUT OF CONTROL,
SMASHING INTO THE BASILICA.
♪♪
[ SPEAKING SPANISH ]
♪♪
[ CONVERSING IN SPANISH ]
IT TAKES A STEADY HAND
TO GUIDE THE FIRST TWO PANELS INTO PLACE
AS THE WIND SLOWLY PICKS UP.
♪♪
AS THE GUSTS HIT 37 MILES PER HOUR...
JAUME GETS SOME BAD NEWS.
THE WINDS ARE TOO STRONG TO INSTALL THE PANELS.
♪♪
I DON'T MAKE THE LIFT.
Narrator: IN THE SEASIDE CITY OF BARCELONA,
WORKING THROUGH WINDS LIKE THESE
TO COMPLETE THE WORLD'S TALLEST CHURCH
IS A CONSTANT BATTLE.
♪♪
Narrator: IN BARCELONA, SPAIN,
AT THE SITE OF ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST UNIQUE CHURCHES,
STRONG WINDS THREATEN TO SHUT DOWN THE OPERATION
TO BUILD THE TOWERS THAT WILL MAKE SAGRADA FAMíLIA
THE WORLD'S TALLEST CHURCH.
Torreguitart: THE WIND IS GOING UP MINUTE BY MINUTE.
I DON'T KNOW.
WE HAVE TO WAIT.
♪♪
Narrator: THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE GUSTS DIE DOWN...
...AND JAUME CAN CONTINUE TO PUSH THE TOWERS SKYWARDS.
♪♪
WE NEED THE BEST WEATHER CONDITIONS.
♪♪
Narrator: TOUCHDOWN.
[ CONVERSING IN SPANISH ]
AND WITH ITS STEEL TENDONS SECURED,
THIS PIECE OF GAUDí'S SKY-HIGH JIGSAW
SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE A POUNDING FROM THE WINDS
AND EARTHQUAKES FOR CENTURIES TO COME.
♪♪
AS THE SIX CENTRAL TOWERS CONTINUE TO RISE,
ANOTHER TEAM IS HARD AT WORK MAKING THE ORNATE STAINED GLASS
THAT WILL SIT INSIDE SOME OF THE WINDOWS.
THE CHURCH'S VISIONARY ARCHITECT, GAUDí,
LEFT BARELY ANY INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE STAINED GLASS,
SO IT'S UP TO GLASS ARTIST JOAN VILA-GRAU
TO DEVISE A DESIGN GAUDí WOULD APPROVE OF.
LIKE THE MULTIPLE GENERATIONS BUILDING THE CHURCH,
JOAN HAS SPENT DECADES ON THIS,
AND IS PASSING HIS SKILLS DOWN TO HIS SON, TONI.
♪♪
Vila-Grau: MY GRANDFATHER WAS PAINTER.
MY FATHER WAS A PAINTER.
I AM A PAINTER.
TONI IS WORKING TOO IN PAINTINGS.
♪♪
Narrator: WORKERS USE TRADITIONAL STAINED-GLASS TECHNIQUES
TO REALIZE JOAN'S DESIGNS.
♪♪
FINALLY, JOAN AND TONI'S BEAUTIFUL WINDOWS
CAN BE INSTALLED IN THE TOWERS.
♪♪
THE NAVE OF SAGRADA FAMíLIA, COMPLETED IN 2010,
SHOWCASES SOME OF THE 17,900 SQUARE FEET OF STAINED GLASS
CONTAINED WITHIN THE BASILICA.
THE LIGHT STREAMING THROUGH COLORS THE PILLARS AND WALLS.
Woman: I WALKED IN, AND IT WAS, LIKE, GOOSE BUMPS,
JUST COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY BY THE LIGHT,
THE COLOR, THE STRUCTURES.
Vila-Grau: CHOOSING WHAT COLORS WE'D NEED ON
ONE SIDE AND ANOTHER WAS TO CREATE
A KIND OF MYSTIC AMBIANCE.
♪♪
Narrator: IN THE MORNING, THE SUN SHINES THROUGH THE EAST SIDE
OF THE NAVE,
BATHING THE BASILICA IN BLUE LIGHT.
IN THE EVENING, THE SPACE TURNS RED
AS THE WEST SIDE ILLUMINATES.
♪♪
OUTSIDE, THE TEAM IS PICKING UP THE PACE,
ERECTING THE CHURCH'S TOWERS.
THIS NEW STONEWORK WILL ADD AN EXTRA 6,500 TONS OF WEIGHT
TO THE ROOF.
THAT'S ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE EIFFEL TOWER
ON TOP OF THE BUILDING.
SUPPORTING THIS IMMENSE WEIGHT CREATES A HUGE CHALLENGE.
♪♪
THE BUILDERS OF TRADITIONAL GOTHIC CHURCHES
FOUND AN INGENIOUS SOLUTION TO SUPPORT THEIR TOWERS.
THIS IS COLOGNE CATHEDRAL,
WHICH TOOK A STAGGERING 632 YEARS TO COMPLETE.
IT'S CURRENTLY THE WORLD'S TALLEST TWIN-SPIRE CHURCH,
SOARING 515 FEET HIGH.
THE INCREDIBLE STRUCTURE WAS MADE POSSIBLE
BY USING FLYING-BUTTRESS TECHNOLOGY --
HUGE STONE ARCHES THAT PROP UP THE CATHEDRAL'S IMMENSE WALLS.
THE BUTTRESSES TRANSFER THE WEIGHT OF ALL THE STONE
DOWN INTO THE GROUND
AND STOP THE STRUCTURE FROM COLLAPSING.
♪♪
WHEN COMPLETE, SAGRADA FAMíLIA WILL SOAR 50 FEET TALLER
THAN COLOGNE CATHEDRAL.
♪♪
ITS PIONEERING ENGINEERS NEEDED TO FIND A WAY
TO SUPPORT THE TOWERS,
BUT THEY FACED A CONUNDRUM.
GAUDí DISLIKED FLYING BUTTRESSES.
HE CONSIDERED THEM TO BE UGLY, UNNATURAL CRUTCHES.
♪♪
Faulí: BUT THIS IS NOT ONLY QUESTION OF WEIGHT.
ALSO, IT'S A QUESTION OF FORM.
Narrator: THE ARCHING EFFECT OF FLYING BUTTRESSES
WOULD'VE TRANSFERRED THE WEIGHT ABOVE DOWN INTO THE GROUND.
BUT THE BUTTRESSES WOULD'VE BLOCKED THE LIGHT
STREAMING THROUGH THE STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS
AND RUINED THE EFFECT OF THE FACADES,
AND FOR AN INTERIOR LIKE THIS, THAT'S NOT AN OPTION.
TO SUPPORT THE INCREDIBLE WEIGHT OF THIS MEGACHURCH,
THE ARCHITECT, GAUDí,
HAD TO USE AN ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT APPROACH.
♪♪
Narrator: TO SUPPORT THEIR INCREDIBLE WEIGHT,
THE WORLD'S BIGGEST CHURCHES
TRADITIONALLY USED FLYING BUTTRESSES,
BUT FOR SAGRADA FAMíLIA,
GAUDí MOVED THE ARCHES INSIDE THE BASILICA
AND SUPPORTED THEM WITH 56 MASSIVE COLUMNS.
AHEAD OF THE CURVE AND ALMOST 100 YEARS
BEFORE THE TOWER BUILD BEGAN,
GAUDí HAD FOUND A WAY TO CHANNEL THEIR WEIGHT
DOWN INTO THE GROUND
AND FREE SAGRADA FAMíLIA FROM THE FLYING BUTTRESSES.
♪♪
Faulí: IT'S EXTRAORDINARY.
IT'S VERY INGENIOUS.
Narrator: THE FOUR COLUMNS TAKING THE HEAVIEST LOAD
BENEATH THE MAIN TOWER ARE MADE OF RED IRANIAN PORPHYRY,
ONE OF THE STRONGEST STONES IN THE WORLD.
♪♪
THANKS TO GAUDí'S FORWARD-THINKING DESIGN,
WHEN TOPPED OUT, THE WORLD'S TALLEST CHURCH TOWERS
WILL HAVE ALL THE SUPPORT THEY NEED.
♪♪
FINALLY, AFTER 135 YEARS, AN ESTIMATED $1.2 BILLION,
AND A WHOLE LOT OF ENGINEERING INGENUITY,
WORKERS HERE HAVE DECODED THE MAVERICK,
THE MYSTERIOUS VISION OF GAUDí.
IT'S A BIG HONOR AND A BIG RESPONSIBILITY
TO FEEL YOU ARE PART OF HISTORY DEVELOPING THIS PROJECT.
♪♪
Narrator: THE TEAM IS WELL ON THEIR WAY TO FINISHING
SAGRADA FAMíLIA'S MASSIVE CROWNING TOWERS,
TO FINALLY COMPLETE THIS EXTRAORDINARY STRUCTURE IN TIME
FOR THE CENTENARY OF GAUDí'S DEATH IN JUST UNDER 10 YEARS.
THE TOWER IS GROWING TO THE TOP.
♪♪
I FEEL THAT WE ARE CONTINUING HISTORY.
Narrator: POPULARLY KNOWN AS GOD'S ARCHITECT,
GAUDí IS FAMED TO HAVE SAID, "MY CLIENT IS IN NO HURRY,"
BUT IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE SAGRADA FAMíLIA IS COMPLETE,
AND GAUDí'S CLIENT WILL HAVE THE WORLD'S TALLEST CHURCH.
♪♪