Reach For The Sky - Building a Skyscraper

New York is the skyscraper capital of the World. For over a 100 years architects there have been reaching skywards with their buildings to create the towering skyline for which the city is so famous. Never in all that time has anyone actually charted the building of a skyscraper. The process that transforms a city block from a nondescript piece of wasteland into this great tower that soars above the city's streets. That is what this series of four programmes does for the very first time. It is absolutely unique in every way. It begins with the very first excavations on the unmarked city lot. It ends with the topping out ceremony high over Manhattan, having followed in words and pictures every single step of the way from first to last. A story rich with remarkable engineering insights and extraordinary human detail. It is a timeless record that truly has something for everyone. This award winning series charted the construction of World Wide Plaza in 1986 on the site formerly occupied by New York's famous Madison Square Garden.

• documentary