Superstructures: Engineering Marvels

Costing $150 billion, the International Space Station is the most expensive structure humans have ever built. In this episode, using the series’ signature photo-real computer graphics, we take it apart to uncover the extraordinary innovations that enable it to support life in the deadly vacuum of space.

When structures are too big to travel by road or rail, the GPO Amethyst is the ultimate heavyweight ocean transporter — a ship that carries the biggest loads on Earth, anywhere on the planet. It does this by deliberately sinking into the ocean. To reveal the secrets of this supership, this episode uncovers what’s going on inside, taking it apart with photo-real graphics from stem to stern.

The Antonov AN-255 is the largest plane in the world. Using state-of-the-art computer graphics, this episode uncovers the feats of engineering that enable the AN-225 to not only fly but also set the record for carrying the heaviest air freight ever. The extraordinary plane’s achievements are charted throughout history, and at each step more innovation is revealed.

Downtown Dubai’s Burj Khalifa is the ultimate skyscraper. At more than half a mile high, this towering vertical city not only challenges conventional architecture but also set numerous world records, including the tallest building on Earth. This episode uses state-of-the-art computer graphics and expert testimony to reveal how this mind-blowing tower was made.

The Singapore National Stadium is an award-winning sports arena with the largest free-spanning dome in the world. It’s a state-of-the-art building like no other. Using CGI and expert testimony, this episode takes the stadium apart to discover the innovations that, against the odds, turned the superstructure into an engineering masterpiece.

Germany’s Wolfsburg car factory is the largest in the world, but it has a dark history. Conceived by Adolf Hitler and founded before World War II, the plant was central to the abhorrent Nazi dream. Nevertheless, it went on to produce the world-famous Beetle. This episode uncovers how the plant expanded to over 70 million square feet to become a hugely successful model of hi-tech automation.