[0:06]In the heart of downtown Miami, a skyscraper like no other is rising. Its design is radical, and the method of construction revolutionary. Nobody's ever built a high-rise with this material. It's one of a kind. Conceived in the mind of one of the world's most pioneering architects, Dame Zaha Hadid. I don't even know what that is. It's crazy. This will be one of her most ambitious projects, and tragically, her last. She came here on Monday, and she passed away on Thursday. Let's go. Let's win. A team of construction experts must complete Zaha's vision without her. Everybody's watching what we're doing. We're trying to make the impossible possible. But will experimental construction techniques, combined with the forces of nature, prove too much? Everyone should be preparing for the catastrophic hurricane. This is a bad one. This prevents us from going any further. This is The Scorpion Tower, and it is an impossible build.
[1:37]Miami, Florida, a city world-renowned for its climate, beaches, and Art Deco architecture. But if a team of construction experts can pull it off, then Miami may also become famous for something revolutionary. The most groundbreaking skyscraper ever built.
[2:07]We're hoping that the building that we create here is going to be a centerpiece for Miami. When you think of other important cities around the world, and they have a building that that city is known for, we think that this will be that building. The building that developer Louis Birdman and his team are hoping will become a modern-day icon, is a curved 709-foot work of art. And it's held together from the outside of the structure by an insect-like exoskeleton. This exoskeleton, it's almost like the outside of a scorpion, where it has its hard shell that holds its body together. We're looking at something on paper that looks impossible to build, and trying to make it real. The Scorpion Tower is the brainchild of Iraqi-British architect Dame Zaha Hadid, the so-called Queen of the Curve. From Azerbaijan's Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre, to Beijing's Galaxy Retail Complex, Hadid's designs are world-renowned for pushing boundaries without compromising on function.
[3:31]I still maybe in a way still believe in the 20th century, dream that architecture could contribute to a better life. And I think at the end, it really is about well-being. You have to feel good. For Miami, Zaha Hadid has designed an extraordinary 62-story skyscraper. Officially called 1000 Museum, after its location overlooking the city's Museum Park, it will feature just 83 super luxury condos.
[4:09]Costing almost half a billion dollars to build, the plan is to complete construction in just four years. It's a huge challenge for a skyscraper with an inside-out structure that will rewrite the construction rulebook.
[4:33]December 2014, and Dame Zaha Hadid is on site in Miami to witness the birth of her groundbreaking project. I love Miami. I've been coming here for quite a few years. We are extremely excited because not only because I eventually have something of mine in this city, but also because it's a very adventurous project and, uh, I want to thank you all for having us.
[5:02]All right. Let's go schedule. On the ground to lead construction, the developers have chosen a man whose career has been built on achieving the seemingly impossible.
[5:24]I've been in the business 39 years and, um, I look for challenging, exciting projects. I don't think anything that can be drawn accurately is an impossible build. If an architect and engineer can draw it, we can build it. I'm like you guys. I like to win. To build the Scorpion Tower, Joe has hand-picked a crack team of experts. Guys, how are you doing over here? Anyone can build that square building down the road that's a couple floors high.
[5:58]Doing one to 62 stories high with columns that go like this, it's phenomenal. And Shell Superintendent Keith Bisson will take charge of assembling the futuristic exoskeleton. Every year it seems like the buildings get more challenging and challenging. This one is even more challenging. But the first challenge isn't the building, it's what lies beneath. This area of Miami may be prime real estate, but it's built on porous limestone right next to the sea.
[6:37]If the foundations aren't rock solid, the whole structure could sink, bringing the neighboring skyscrapers down with it. Ground over here on Biscayne Boulevard, it's like a giant sponge. You'd really be hard-pressed to find a less suitable soil to build this huge skyscraper on. The developers, they don't want to hear these problems. They just want solutions. That's why we're here. To strengthen the ground enough to support the 62-story building, the team has constructed the city's deepest ever foundation piles.
[7:13]227 shafts drilled as far down as 177 feet into the earth, reinforced with steel, and now filled with concrete.
[7:31]We've drilled the deepest pile in Miami. We're not even out of the ground yet, and we're we're starting to break records already.
[7:40]9 months after first breaking ground, the Scorpion Tower's foundation slab is finally ready to be poured.
[7:52]Downtown Miami has never seen a site quite like this. 1,000 truckloads of concrete bring the city's traffic to a standstill.
[8:06]Over a 24-hour period, they'll deliver a continuous pour of almost 10,000 cubic yards of concrete. It's down to Joe to ensure it reaches every corner of the foundation. This is what guys like me live for. Building something like this, it's a challenge, and that's what I look for.
[8:32]To form the foundation slab, it's essential the concrete hardens as one single mass to stop internal cracking.
[8:44]But the clock is ticking. The longer the trucks have to wait, the more likely it is the concrete will start to harden before it reaches the site.
[9:00]As concrete cures, its temperature rises. So every batch is continually checked before it's poured. If the concrete gets above 95 degrees, we have to send those trucks back to the plant, and we're not putting the concrete into the foundation here. As the operation continues through the night, the developers can't resist heading to the site to watch this landmark stage of construction unfold.
[9:33]A lot of background work for the last couple years that people couldn't see. Finally, we're coming out of the ground now, and people will be able to see the building coming up, so it's very exciting. This is the very top of the foundation. From here we'll go up and we'll be constructing the structure for about the next 24 months, until we get to the top of the building. This is the first step in going vertical. As night turns into day, Joe's meticulous planning proves faultless.
[10:07]The first crucial stage of construction has been completed without a hitch. But now, the real hard work begins.
[10:37]Construction on the Scorpion Tower has reached the seventh floor, and Zaha Hadid's twisting inside-out support columns are starting to take shape. This is the first lift of columns that takes off right off the mat. This is where it's starting. The curves start right at the bottom.
[10:59]So far, the columns have been shaped by pouring concrete into plywood-lined forms, but even the best finish is far from smooth. That's a problem, because this skyscraper is defined by its silky curves. So from the 15th floor, where the column slim down, the exoskeleton will be formed using a groundbreaking construction material. Known as glass fiber reinforced concrete or GFRC, it's normally used as a decorative covering. But here, pre-made panels will be used as permanent formwork to deliver the building's signature curves. We explored everything from port concrete to, to foe, to steel, and seeing if we could achieve the finish. This really was the only way to achieve her Zaha's design. The exoskeleton will be formed by clamping GFRC panels around a snaking framework of reinforced steel.
[12:15]Once in place, each column will be filled with super strength concrete, and that's it. If the technology works, the pre-made panels could knock six months off the construction schedule. The name of the game in building is get it done as soon as you can, but nobody's ever built a high-rise with this material. It's one of a kind. The method of construction is revolutionary. And to achieve it, The Scorpion Tower is being built at two different sites on opposite sides of the world. Here in Miami, and 8,000 miles away in Dubai. Harold Halvorsen is the man behind the GFRC technology.
[13:06]GFRC has a finish which is unique. It's a finish which is long-lasting. The GFRC comes to the building site, you lift it up, and the building is finished.
[13:19]To demonstrate the pre-made panels will provide the right finish, Harold's team have recreated part of the Scorpion Tower in Dubai, albeit a simplified version. What you see in front now is the mock-up we made, and when the Zaha Hadid architects came here, they were overwhelmed with the quality.
[13:47]The job of engineering this 700-foot jigsaw in the sky falls to design engineer Nasr Yahir. Every panel is a unique panel. Each and every panel has to be designed to fit on top of the other one. And of course to take all the details with the panels adjacent to it, so that they can fit together and eventually be installed on site.
[14:14]To produce this seamless design, Nasr has masterminded an intricate arrangement of 4,800 panels.
[14:26]Everyone is formed from its own unique mold. A mix of cement, sand, and chopped glass fiber is sprayed layer upon layer into the molds. Once dry, each freshly formed panel is sanded, cleaned, and sealed. The result, 21st-century flat pack panels, ready for installation. I believe we are doing pioneering work in using GFRC as permanent formwork in a high-rise building. I believe this is the future of high-rise building.
[15:11]All 4,800 panels will be shipped to Miami in containers at key stages in the build. It's essential that everyone arrives in the condition it left the factory.
[15:26]To ensure there's no chance of damage en route, head of logistics Simon Hanlon has devised a no expense spared transport solution. He's talking millions of dollars worth of panels that are being moved, so safety, packaging, loading before final shipment is, is paramount.
[16:00]It's very difficult to get the cradle into the back of it, to actually rear of the container. So without this system it would almost be impossible.
[16:12]The system we've had in place is pretty much a bespoke solution, and without using that system, we wouldn't have the confidence that we have at the moment to ensure that those cradles get to Miami in the safe and secure manner.
[16:26]The latest shipment of custom-made panels has begun. In six weeks time, they'll be 8,000 miles away and ready for installation.
[16:47]After three months, the construction team has been completing a floor every nine days.
[17:03]Progress is at an all-time high, but there's trouble on the horizon. And it goes by the name of Hurricane Irma.
[17:15]Hurricane continues to be an extremely dangerous category 5 hurricane right now. Max sustained winds are a potentially catastrophic 175 miles per hour. With winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, the category 4 hurricane brings destruction and flooding to the city. There's chaos on the streets. A construction crane is torn apart, but the Scorpion Tower defies the storm.
[17:53]With just three days to go before Hurricane Irma is due to hit Miami, construction has been suspended, and most of the workers have been evacuated from the city. That just leaves Joe Cerri and Tony Patriarca to batten down the hatches in the Scorpion Tower.
[18:24]On September 10th, 2017, Hurricane Irma tears through Miami. With winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, the category 4 hurricane brings destruction and flooding to the city.
[18:43]There's chaos on the streets. A construction crane is torn apart. But the Scorpion Tower defies the storm. The Scorpion Tower's inside-out structure is about to face the ultimate test. With just three days to go before Hurricane Irma is due to hit Miami, construction has been suspended, and most of the workers have been evacuated from the city. That just leaves Joe Cerri and Tony Patriarca to batten down the hatches in the Scorpion Tower.
[19:28]On September 10th, 2017, Hurricane Irma tears through Miami. With winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, the category 4 hurricane brings destruction and flooding to the city. There's chaos on the streets. A construction crane is torn apart. But the Scorpion Tower defies the storm. The Scorpion Tower's inside-out structure is about to face the ultimate test. With just three days to go before Hurricane Irma is due to hit Miami, construction has been suspended, and most of the workers have been evacuated from the city. That just leaves Joe Cerri and Tony Patriarca to batten down the hatches in the Scorpion Tower.
[20:32]On September 10th, 2017, Hurricane Irma tears through Miami. With winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, the category 4 hurricane brings destruction and flooding to the city. There's chaos on the streets. A construction crane is torn apart. But the Scorpion Tower defies the storm. The Scorpion Tower's inside-out structure is about to face the ultimate test. With just three days to go before Hurricane Irma is due to hit Miami, construction has been suspended, and most of the workers have been evacuated from the city. That just leaves Joe Cerri and Tony Patriarca to batten down the hatches in the Scorpion Tower.
[21:30]The next morning, Andrew knows why the balcony isn't fitting.
[21:39]The problem is not because of the custom-made panel. It's the result of human error. The engineers in Dubai have granted Andrew permission to install two new pins in the concrete slab. With the pins in position, the balcony floor now slots precisely onto the building.
[22:04]With the building and its contents hopefully secured, Joe and Tony can do no more but head for shelter and wait out the storm. On September 10th, 2017, Hurricane Irma tears through Miami. With winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, the category 4 hurricane brings destruction and flooding to the city. There's chaos on the streets. A construction crane is torn apart. But the Scorpion Tower defies the storm. The Scorpion Tower's inside-out structure is about to face the ultimate test. With just three days to go before Hurricane Irma is due to hit Miami, construction has been suspended, and most of the workers have been evacuated from the city. That just leaves Joe Cerri and Tony Patriarca to batten down the hatches in the Scorpion Tower.
[23:16]On September 10th, 2017, Hurricane Irma tears through Miami. With winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, the category 4 hurricane brings destruction and flooding to the city. There's chaos on the streets. A construction crane is torn apart. But the Scorpion Tower defies the storm. The Scorpion Tower's inside-out structure is about to face the ultimate test. With just three days to go before Hurricane Irma is due to hit Miami, construction has been suspended, and most of the workers have been evacuated from the city. That just leaves Joe Cerri and Tony Patriarca to batten down the hatches in the Scorpion Tower.
[24:20]On September 10th, 2017, Hurricane Irma tears through Miami. With winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, the category 4 hurricane brings destruction and flooding to the city. There's chaos on the streets. A construction crane is torn apart. But the Scorpion Tower defies the storm. The Scorpion Tower's inside-out structure is about to face the ultimate test. With just three days to go before Hurricane Irma is due to hit Miami, construction has been suspended, and most of the workers have been evacuated from the city. That just leaves Joe Cerri and Tony Patriarca to batten down the hatches in the Scorpion Tower.
[25:24]On September 10th, 2017, Hurricane Irma tears through Miami. With winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, the category 4 hurricane brings destruction and flooding to the city. There's chaos on the streets. A construction crane is torn apart. But the Scorpion Tower defies the storm. The Scorpion Tower's inside-out structure is about to face the ultimate test. With just three days to go before Hurricane Irma is due to hit Miami, construction has been suspended, and most of the workers have been evacuated from the city. That just leaves Joe Cerri and Tony Patriarca to batten down the hatches in the Scorpion Tower.
[26:28]On September 10th, 2017, Hurricane Irma tears through Miami. With winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, the category 4 hurricane brings destruction and flooding to the city. There's chaos on the streets. A construction crane is torn apart.
[26:52]But the Scorpion Tower defies the storm. The Scorpion Tower's inside-out structure is about to face the ultimate test. With just three days to go before Hurricane Irma is due to hit Miami, construction has been suspended, and most of the workers have been evacuated from the city. That just leaves Joe Cerri and Tony Patriarca to batten down the hatches in the Scorpion Tower.
[27:32]On September 10th, 2017, Hurricane Irma tears through Miami. With winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, the category 4 hurricane brings destruction and flooding to the city. There's chaos on the streets. A construction crane is torn apart.
[27:56]But the Scorpion Tower defies the storm. The Scorpion Tower's inside-out structure is about to face the ultimate test. With just three days to go before Hurricane Irma is due to hit Miami, construction has been suspended, and most of the workers have been evacuated from the city. That just leaves Joe Cerri and Tony Patriarca to batten down the hatches in the Scorpion Tower.
