Product Description:
Choose a title above from the following Academic Success programs:
#3259 The Dome of the Pantheon (Run Time 9 min.) DVD $49.95
This program looks at the architectural and engineering problems underlying the construction of the Pantheon in Paris, modeled on the Roman Pantheon. Begun in 1764, completed in 1790, it is a monument not only with a past but with a preserved history of architectural drawings and models, which are examined and explained in this program. (9 minutes)
#32839 Birth of an Icon: Frank Gehry's Disney Hall (Run Time 11 min.) DVD $49.95
The symphony of construction at Disney Hall is finally completed. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra's long-awaited new home-a sculptural arrangement of billowing stainless steel-clad shapes-is the topic of this NewsHour program. Frank Gehry comments on how he designed the concert hall using 3-D computer modeling, while the Philharmonic's executive director and two musicians extol the virtues of master acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota's efforts. Sounding a dissonant note is urban planning critic Sam Hall Kaplan, who calls L.A.'s new signature civic icon an elitist misuse of money better spent on numerous smaller renewal projects. (11 minutes)
#979 The Search for a Usable Past (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
Architecture grows out of a people's shared past. But in America, where ties to ancient cultures have been broken, we have individually and collectively invented a usable past. From the practical shelters built by the Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation to the classic ideals of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello to the stylistic diversity of our own time, our buildings reflect the strong-willed individuals who have fused national and personal mythologies.This first program in the series provides an overview of American architecture, exploring the result of the search for continuity and the need for innovation and introducing the development of different building types and styles as responses to the demands and wants of Americans.Sites covered in detail in this program are Plimouth Plantation, Jefferson's Monticello, Washington's Mount Vernon, Hill-Stead, and the Philip Johnson Estate. Vincent Scully, Jaquelin Robertson, and Philip Johnson join Robert A. M. Stern in this program. (58 minutes)
#980 The Campus: A Place Apart (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
Thomas Jefferson's University of Virginia-the first American campus-is like its founder in exemplifying the national capacity for self-invention. Palladio's shade hangs over the individual house-temples which line the landscaped mall-a uniquely American idea.University builders have sought to separate the campus, by locating it in the country or by erecting walls-walls of stone or of style. Since universities teach the past, they often reflect architecturally the sources of Western civilization-the past America itself lacks: the invented medieval past of Yale's Gothic buildings or St. Paul's; the monumental classicism of the U.S. Naval Academy; and classicism updated in Chicago's I.I.T., where I-beams replace Doric columns.Whether in the futurism of G.M. Tech or the Air Force Academy, the integration of city and campus at the University of Chicago or the Roman Forum re-invented for the Loyola Law School, today's campus seeks to combine the dream of the past with the materials and problems of today. (58 minutes)
#981 Dream Houses (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
A person's home is his self-image, his autobiography as ghost-written by the architect. Mark Twain's house suited him so well that he became convinced he had himself designed it. A more imposing self-portrait is Fenway Court, which ignores the Colonial past and industrial present to recreate a Venetian palazzo in Boston; the American industrialist as Renaissance Italian prince is seen in Vizcaya, built in a drained mangrove swamp. William Randolph Hearst's mother would't buy him the Louvre, so when he grew up he built his own: San Simeon-the ranch to end all ranches, half the size of Rhode Island, a distinctly Californian place that combined glory on the refectory walls with ketchup in bottles on the table.Other houses visited in this program are Wright's Hollyhock House for Aline Barnsdall, Saarinen's Cranbrook House for George G. Booth, Henry Davis Sleeper's Beauport, and Peter Eisenman's House 6, whose thesis is that the good old days are tomorrow. (58 minutes)
#982 Suburbs: Arcadia for Everyone (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
Americans dream of owning a single-family home-ideally in some leafy Arcadia not too far from the city workplace.There are many shapes to this dream-Gothic cottages and mini-castles surrounded by manicured wilderness, like the first planned suburban development in Llewellyn Park, N.J.; detached dwellings in sylvan surroundings, with restrictive land use and minimum cost regulations (Olmstead and Vauz' Riverside); the company town, whose prototype is Pullman, IL.; a suburb like Forest Hills successfully inserted into the very heart of New York: a totally designed community that combines quaintness and modernity, compact enought to be served by a single school and having a civic focus; Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, which grew from a religious tent city into a planned resort village.Levittown addressed the problem of affordable individual housing for large masses and their automobiles. Some of the solutions became problems in themselves. Still, though in places it turned nightmare-Slurbia, spreading like ooze between and even within cities-the dream of owning one's own home is the glory of American life, the most persuasive exemplar of our democracy. (58 minutes)
#983 Resorts: Paradise Reclaimed (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
American pioneers had to overcome the dangerous wilderness; Americans at rest want to return to nature-not the wilderness, but a tamed and peaceful nature.Having cut down nature to build cities, we bring back the country through parks: New York's Central Park gives us a dreamlike, idealized New York with forests, lakes, hills, meadows, foot and bridle paths, and architecture to complement the picturesque settings; vacationers sought rusticity with comfort, and nature brought indoors became the fad. The ultra-rich built a private resort town around a country club (The Newport Casino, R.I.- both classical and colloquial, the first example of the Shingle Style); they found shelter in marble palaces (they called them cottages)-the Vanderbilts contributed to this genre; Addison Mizner concocted Palm Beach for it.Postwar Florida resorts bear the stong imprint of Hollywood-in the great hotels of Miami Beach and in the fantasy of Disney World, which gives us the elemental, mythically American Main Street. (58 minutes)
#984 The Places Within (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
The corridors of power, in business and government, lead to heroic interior spaces, and business has frequently appropriated the architecture of power-that is, of government. Interior spaces symbolize as well as contain function. The ambiguous relationship to nature is seen in the American desire to bring a scaled-down outdoors inside; the incorporation of the past takes different shapes.The town square concept reappears in guises as diverse as the great interior space under the Capitol dome and the glazed-over shopping mall that is Houston's Galleria; hotels and museums with indoor plazas seek to provide the same sort of community meeting space. Grand Central Terminal-with twinkling stars painted on its concourse ceiling-is both the nexus of a transportation network and a grand bazaar. The Pennsylvania Academy of Art demonstrates how the effort to combine tradition, function, and the symbols of industrial modernity may wind up a mixed metaphor.It took Frank Lloyd Wright to reconcile the dome of the pantheon and the arcaded market in the Marin County Civic Center. (58 minutes)
#985 Proud Towers (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
There was a time when the skyline was dominated by the spire; in the 20th century, the skyscraper-a cathedral of commerce-has been the city's signature. Its forerunner was the commercial loft building, often an ersatz palazzo made of iron cast to look like stone; Louis Sullivan changed the horizontal focus by adding height.The distinction between a tall building and a skyscraper was drawn by the Flatiron Building-not just a warehouse with office workers, but a statement about the corporation. The first full-fledged skyscraper was the flamboyantly Gothic Woolworth Building; the Chicago Tribune Tower was next; the title of highest building was held for a short time by the Art Deco Chrysler Building; and then the torch passed to the Empire State Building-a symbolic and a technological breakthrough. The International Style, with its curtain walls of glass and aluminum, has been succeeded by the current trend (seen in Houston's Pennzoil Place and Transco Building and in Pittsburgh's PPG Place), which restores to skyscraper architecture its symbolic level and its historic roots. (58 minutes)
#986 The Garden and the Grid (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
Villages may spring up but great cities are laid out by surveyors measuring out divisible grids to suit the visions of real estate entrepreneurs, designers of space or social policy.The effort to renew the aged, replace the obsolete or provide for growth, to connect business with residential centers and cities with nature, has provided a range of solutions that range from Colonial reconstruction to urban renewal, from the sublime to the disastrous. This program addresses the various solutions to the problem of bringing the garden into the grid.The program covers Detroit's Renaissance Center; the buildings and monuments of Washington; H.H. Richardson's embellishment of North Easton, Mass.; Concord, N.H.'s rediscovery of its past; Robert Moses' empire of landscaped highways and public parks; and the architectural legacy of the Rockefellers: Rockefeller Center, the Albany Mall, and the Colonial Williamsburg restoration, which seems like a suburb but is actually a city-the most compelling model for today. (58 minutes)
#4625 Stone Walls: Of Prison and Architecture (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
One of the most encouraging prison stories of the decade, as well as what has been called "as close to a perfect art film as we are likely to get," this program tells the story of a convicted armed robber serving a long sentence. When Peter Wayne escaped from his low-security prison, he expected to be caught and he was, but not before he found himself outside a building with whose architecture he fell in love. In the following three-and-a-half years, he became an expert -the expert - on the 18th-century architect, Thomas Archer; always accompanied by a prison guard, Wayne was permitted to visit Archer buildings around the country. In this scintillating program, he shares both his joy in Archer's work and his sense of redemption through his love of this new-found beauty. His inner life has been changed; as for his outer life, at the end of the day, he returns to prison. (27 minutes)
#5546 Architecture: The Science of Design (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Though architecture is surely an art, it is also a science and this program focuses on the scientific component. Skyscrapers have to stand up, not only to gravity but also to wind, precipitation, and sometimes earthquakes. The program also looks at another fascinating achievement of modern architectural science, the "intelligent home," many of whose features, including lighting or heating the house and even preparing morning coffee, can be fully programmed and executed automatically. Finally, the program tells us about concrete, a construction material that has become the symbol of modern architecture and is undergoing constant improvement. (23 minutes)
#5590 Architectural Techniques (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Like other technologies, architecture has changed across the centuries. The discovery of new materials, the understanding of physical principles, and the development of new construction techniques have permitted architects to extend the boundaries of the possible. This program demonstrates some of the basic architectural techniques, such as the arch and the use of beams; shows how lasers and photography are used in conjunction with traditional techniques to preserve endangered monuments; and shows innovative uses of textiles in an architectural context. (23 minutes)
#8853 Philip Johnson: Looking Back (Run Time 13 min.) DVD $89.95
Adjectives used to describe the controversial architectural vision of Philip Johnson range from "brilliant" and "original" to "gimmicky" and "uninspired." In this program, the 90-year-old innovator of the International Style and proponent of Post-Modernism reflects on his career with correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault. Together they discuss his current passion for designing with concrete, the emotional power of architecture, his place in the architecture hierarchy, his philosophy of life, and his heartfelt regret for ever having been involved in politics. (13 minutes)
#8931 Frank Gehry Uncensored (Run Time 31 min.) DVD $89.95
In this program, Frank Gehry discusses the popular Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in detail, a building that is hailed as a cathedral for art and is a masterpiece in its own right. He also discusses his desire to incorporate a sense of motion into his buildings, the Sydney Opera House's abominable new neighbor, and the $2-billion job he turned down. In addition, he answers questions about what constitutes ugly architecture, how he gets his ideas, and what motivates him. Footage of the beautiful museum complements this captivating interview. (31 minutes)
#11117 Vanishing Points: An Introduction to Architectural Drawing (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $89.95
From conceptual sketches to detailed blueprints, drawings serve as the vehicle for translating architectural visions into masterpieces of design and construction. This outstanding program provides a concise demonstration of axonometric, isometric, and one-point and two-point perspective drawing. Computer graphics are employed to help explain the underlying principles of architectural drawing, while student projects serve as examples of well-executed drafting. (20 minutes)
#29629 Past and Future (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
This program traces the evolution of the American skyscraper over the 20th century and speculates on the skyscraper of the future. A study of landmark structures ranging from the Home Insurance Building and the Singer Building, to the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, to the World Trade Center and the Sears Tower serves as a timeline of U.S. skyscraper history. In addition, some of America's best-known architects and engineers explain how they have overcome the challenges of constructing higher and higher buildings. (52 minutes)
#29630 Rock and Paper (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
This program introduces the major players in the Worldwide Plaza construction project, including developer William Zeckendorf, Jr.; architect David Childs, of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; and construction manager Dominic Fonti, of HRH Construction, as they begin work on the building. The design process, the raising of capital and recruitment of future tenants, and site excavation and preparation are featured. A visit to Mosher Steel, in Houston, illustrates how raw steel is fabricated into the columns and beams that are to form the structure's skeleton. (53 minutes)
#29631 Time and Money (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
In this program, Dominic Fonti observes the effects of stress tests on a mock-up of the Worldwide Plaza exterior wall; laborers begin building the skyscraper's frame and pouring its floors; William Zeckendorf's staff deals with design changes demanded by future tenant Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, which alters the schedule and budget of the entire project; and the architects and developers go head to head over the color of the structure's exterior bricks. A trip to Glen-Gery Brick, based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, demonstrates how the nearly 1.25 million bricks needed for the glass-and-masonry tower are manufactured. (53 minutes)
#29632 Steel and Stone (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
This program tracks the progress being made on the Worldwide Plaza, as metalworkers, stone masons, and other specialists exercise their skills. In addition, a subcontractor who has fallen significantly behind schedule, the burden of late fees if tenant Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide cannot move in on time, and public relations problems jeopardize the success of the project. A tour of a quarry in Venice, where the skyscraper's stonework is cut and polished, showcases a mock-up of one of the Plaza's granite columns. (53 minutes)
#29633 Copper and Diamond (Run Time 53 min.) DVD $89.95
As construction of the Worldwide Plaza moves toward completion, this program focuses on the two final make-or-break hurdles: a problem with the roof design, which requires that the copper panels be hoisted by hand and the floor be reinforced to support the weight of the building's mechanical systems, and the challenge of installing the building's crowning glass pyramid 770 feet above the ground. The designing and installation of the structure's sophisticated elevator system is also spotlighted. (53 minutes)
#29961 The Home Maker: Samuel Sambo" Mockbee" (Run Time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
Award-winning architect and recipient of a 2000 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, Samuel Mockbee had a practical approach to architecture that reflected his lofty ideals. Based out of the Rural Studio he cofounded at Auburn University, Mockbee and his students designed and built-free of charge-homes and other structures using recyclable materials for people in one of Alabama's poorest areas, Hale County. In this program filmed a year before Mockbee's death, ABC News correspondent Robert Krulwich talks with the architect about his philosophy and goals in a field that often forgets that buildings are for people, not other architects. (22 minutes)
#30652 Classically Georgian (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
An icon of architectural design, Georgian is also the most popular revival style. This program showcases examples of Georgian homes from three different centuries, offering a detailed tour of the grounds and interiors. First, the origins of the style are seen in a 1760 Georgian villa on the Thames. Next, the program visits The Grange in Toronto, a house from 1817. And then the tour arrives at the Batterwood mansion, built in 1927 in Canton, Ontario. Architect Barry Hobin and historians Fern Graham, Hal Kalman, and Dan Cruikshank provide commentary on this architectural homage to perfection. (24 minutes)
#30653 Glass Houses (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
This program visits two homes where architects took daring steps with the use of glass: the Genicot House in Brussels, where a dance studio, video production office, and family home coexist in perfect harmony, and the Van Helm residence designed by Brian Hemmingway in West Vancouver. Along with a thorough tour inside and out, interior designer Aurelien Guillory discusses the use of light and color in the Genicot House and architect Barry Hobin compares and contrasts the homes. (24 minutes)
#30654 Prairie Style (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style, with its floating horizontal planes and organic relationship to natural surroundings, changed the face of modern architecture. In this program, Wright's lasting legacy is examined both in one of his own designs and in those of two architects he inspired. Cameras tour Wright's 1904 Tomak House in Illinois, Dan White's house in Vancouver, and the Donald Fraser residence in Ontario. Architectural historian Hal Kalman and architects Barry Hobin and Dan White discuss the innovations and details of these groundbreaking homes . (24 minutes)
#30655 Contemporary Urban (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
The client's needs, limited space, and building codes are just some of the constraints facing architects when they design urban homes. Each of the houses examined in this program has something to say, solves a problem, or uniquely inspires. In its unadorned style, Jack Diamond's house in Toronto makes virtues out of necessities. Andy Lynch's home in Halifax, Nova Scotia, blends in harmoniously with structures of earlier times. And Richard Paxton's house makes up for the lack of exterior windows with a retractable roof. (24 minutes)
#30656 Contemporary Rural (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
Country settings afford architects perhaps the greatest measure of freedom to design. In this program, a tour of three houses in rural settings demonstrates some of these creative possibilities. First, architect Arne Bystrom's house outside of Seattle is examined, a site-specific home integrated into its surroundings. Next, Gilles Saucier's house in Hudson, Quebec, offers a reinterpretation of the traditional country house of the region. And the last stop is at "the Train Wreck house" in Bragg Creek, Alberta, the quirky but daring plan of architect Jeremy Sturgess. (24 minutes)
#30657 The New Suburbia (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
Neo-traditionalism or New Urbanism attempts to recapture the small town milieu of yesteryear. This program visits three paradigms of this architectural school. Built from scratch, Florida's Seaside is the prototype, the first town designed by world-renowned urban planners Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk and Andres Duany. Constructed along centuries-old lines, Poundbury is a modern extension of the town of Dorset, England. And McKenzie Towne in Calgary, also by Plater-Zyberk and Duany, is a continuation of the Seaside idea customized for Canada. Interviews with Plater-Zyberk and Duany complement this detailed tour of tomorrow's traditional communities. (24 minutes)
#35313 Elements and Principles of Design (Run Time 31 min.) DVD $89.95
Pleasing the eye is important, but a skilled designer also pays attention to the consumer's mind, emotions, and needs. This program explores the basic elements of design and how they can be manipulated to create powerful visual and interactive experiences. Detailing the properties of line, shape, tone, point, texture, color, and letterform-and how designers organize these elements through contrast, patterning, figure-ground tension, and other methods-the video uses examples in architecture, landscaping, graphics, and other fields to reinforce essential concepts. Students will find the program's lively animation sequences helpful as they absorb each design lesson. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (31 minutes)
#36065 Frank Gehry and Alvar Aalto: Ideas and Influences (Run Time 31 min.) DVD $89.95
Celebrated architect Frank Gehry lives and works in Los Angeles-a world away from Finland, where his idol, the late Alvar Aalto, created stunning additions to the urban landscape and helped originate Scandinavian modernism. This film studies parallels between the two creative giants, examining their respective styles and documenting an in-depth conversation about Aalto between Gehry and architect Juhani Pallasmaa. Several works are discussed-including Aalto's Saynatsalo Town Hall and National Pension Institution, and Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall-while commentary from L.A. Philharmonic conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen further illuminates Gehry's ideas. (31 minutes)
#37575 Philip Johnson: Embellish the Earth (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Philip Johnson, who lived for nearly a century, played a significant part in the changing look of that century-from the glass towers that came to dominate so many American cities, to a return to more classical forms, to buildings using a mix of styles in playful ways. This NewsHour program brings together a 1983 interview with Johnson (then a youthful 77) and a retrospective on the master architect's life filmed two days after the 98-year-old's death in 2005. Episodes include... • Profile-Philip Johnson: Charlayne Hunter-Gault engages architect Philip Johnson in a self-critique of his achievements. • Towering Force: Remembering Philip Johnson: Jeffrey Brown talks with Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for The New Yorker, about the legacy, life, and work of the late architect Philip Johnson. (26 minutes)
#39198 Commerzbank, Frankfurt (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
The traditional skyscraper is an environmentally unsound, energy-guzzling monster. But in 1997, celebrated British architect Norman Foster created a contradiction in terms: the world's first ecologically sensitive skyscraper. As a result, the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt changed the construction of giant corporate buildings forever. This episode features a walking tour of the building and an extended conversation with its chief architect, Stefan Behling. Exploring the tower's fascinating triangular design, the program studies the elevator cores at each corner, the plumbing and AC systems which incorporate rainwater and fresh air, and the lush, contemplative sky gardens. (28 minutes)
#39204 One Canada Square, London (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
In 1991, One Canada Square, the UK's tallest skyscraper, changed the London skyline. But the Cesar Pelli-designed icon did not rise up in the heart of the British capital. As this program describes, the developers undertook a billion-dollar gamble by creating an international financial center, symbolized by this obelisk-shaped tower, in the city's East End docklands. Viewers will learn about the complicated political and economic cooperation that had to occur before building could begin. The collapse of the global property market following completion of the complex-resulting in bankruptcy for the developers and darkness for a large section of the tower-is another major subject. (28 minutes)
#8815 Hong Kong: Asia's New Skyline (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $99.95
This program takes a close look at skyscraper masterpieces in Hong Kong such as the Bank of China, designed by I. M. Pei; the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, designed by Norman Foster; and the Lippo Center. Important to all is feng shui, the ancient art of placement and design, which strongly influenced their construction. In addition, the longest escalator in the world-a part of the innovative system of pedestrian skywalks-is featured as a form of urban transportation. A history of Hong Kong from its annexation as a British crown colony and examples of Hong Kong culture are woven into this documentary that presents an evolving metropolis that bridges East and West, old and new. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (29 minutes)
#8816 Tokyo: The Eclectic Metropolis (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $99.95
In Tokyo, tradition and modernity interlock to create an eclectic environment that juxtaposes the old and the new. This program examines diverse examples of modernistic architecture such as the Shonandai Cultural Center, designed by Itsuko Hasegawa; Kiyori Kikutaka's Edo Museum; skyscrapers in the Shinjuku district; Kazuo Shinohara's Centennial Hall, exemplifying progressive urban anarchy; the Yama Dori, in which Fumihiko Maki employed a modern deconstructionist approach; Shin Takamatsu's Moto Akasaka, done in a Mannerist form; the International Port Terminal; and even Kisho Kurokawa's living capsules. Historical background on Japan and glimpses of old Tokyo are included as a contrast to the panorama of a constantly metamorphosing metropolis. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (29 minutes)
#8849 New York: A City Silhouette (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $99.95
For Cesar Pelli, a skyscraper must enhance the skyline, harmonize with existing buildings, and be attractive at street level. This program surveys Manhattan's post-modern skyscraper architecture, including Pelli's World Financial Center and Carnegie Hall Tower, Helmut Jahn's City Spire, Minoru Yamasaki's World Trade Center, and the Trump Tower. The renovation of 42nd Street by Robert Stern and the rehabilitation of Times Square are also described. In addition, Helmut Jahn gives his views on New York's architectural rivalry with Chicago and expresses his desire to recapture the spirit of New York's Art Deco days. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (29 minutes)
#8850 Los Angeles: A Fantasy Cityscape (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $99.95
In Los Angeles, experimental architecture is the norm. This program analyzes buildings both from downtown L.A. and from its sprawling suburbs. In Malibu, Edward Niles' futuristic "Space House" and the Getty Roman villa are a study in contrasts; the home of Simon Kwan in Las Flores canyon combines geometrical and deconstructionist elements; in Venice, "The Binoculars" shares proximity with eccentric beach houses and studios on Ocean Front Walk; and Frank Gehry's sculptural Walt Disney Concert Hall stands in the heart of L.A. Buildings by abstract constructivist Eric Owen Moss, Ricardo Legorreta, Charles and Ray Eames, Cesar Pelli, and Arata Isosaki are spotlighted as well. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (29 minutes)
#8851 Paris: A Metropolitan Masterpiece (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $99.95
During his presidency, Francois Mitterand declared that Paris must not become a museum of 19th-century architecture. This program investigates the era of modernization that saw Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers' Pompidou Cultural Center-"The Factory"-become a surprisingly popular landmark while Carlos Ott's prestigious Bastille Opera House failed to meet city planners' expectations. Additional structures highlighted include the Grand Arch; "The Pyramid" at the Louvre, designed by I. M. Pei; the Institute of the Arab World; Jean Nouvel's "Endless Tower"; the City of Science and Industry; and the skyscrapers of La Defense. This documentary displays the dazzling results of France's commitment to update its identity. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (29 minutes)
#8852 London: A City in Transition (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $99.95
Urban development in London-a city with no overall planning authority-has drawn strong reactions from its citizens. This program surveys the city landscape, focusing on popular successes and failures. Notable triumphs such as the Reuters building, designed by Richard Rogers; Nicholas Grimshaw's Waterloo International Terminal; and the Broadgate district, centered on the Liverpool Street Station, are examined, as well as projects criticized for insensitivity to human need: the Canary Wharf complex; the controversial Lloyds headquarters; and the impersonal Vauxhall Intelligence Service building. These aesthetic misfires have triggered a call for a return to a human scale and to place people before architectural prestige. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (29 minutes)
#10013 Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
Rectangular. Two stories. Hipped or gabled roofs, with overhanging eaves. This program examines the origins of the Prairie School style as exemplified by the buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright and his associates. The story of the style-inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement, Louis Sullivan, and the Midwest-is elaborated upon by art historians and architects and through the words of Wright himself, as played by noted actor Richard Henzel. Video clips and archival photos illustrate the style, while a graphical deconstruction of a Victorian house details the contrast between that style and Wright's vision of the new American home. (57 minutes)
#29324 Babel 2015: The Revolution in Architecture (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $129.95
What are the physical limitations in the conquest of vertical space? Can the organic structures of nature offer insights into tall building construction? And is "skyscraper" even an appropriate term for architectural wonders intended to be vertical self-contained cities? This program explores a vision of tomorrow's highest buildings through the example of the Bionic Tower, a 300-story structure to be built in China that will utilize bionic architecture. As an alternative to urban sprawl, the Tower is projected to house 100,000 people while taking up only a single square kilometer of ground space. (30 minutes)
#30696 Dessau's Bauhaus (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
On the outskirts of Dessau, Germany, Walter Gropius built his Higher Academy for the Arts in 1926: the Bauhaus. Filmed on location, this highly detailed study of Gropius' groundbreaking building explores every nuance of its design, as well as its history and the philosophy of its architect. A thorough tour of the Bauhaus is complemented with sketches, photographs, historic film footage, and vintage and modern aerial views. The separate housing units designed by Gropius and built for the famous teachers of the Bauhaus, including Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky, are also shown. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (29 minutes)
#33752 The City of Tomorrow: New Models for Living (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
According to the UN, more than three-quarters of the world's population will live in cities by the year 2050, and the dimensions of urban development will be staggering: towns and cities will merge to form urban complexes with populations of 20 to 30 million. This program travels through Holland, the Ruhr area, and Berlin to observe the ways technology and the wealth of ideas from architects, urban planners, and researchers will change the future of cities worldwide. Discussion focuses on the visions that will make optimum use of space, meet transport needs and power requirements, and maximize quality of life for tomorrow's city dwellers. (26 minutes)
#33781 Bauhaus: Less Is More (Run Time 32 min.) DVD $129.95
This program provides an outstanding historical overview of Bauhaus, the most controversial and forward-looking school of art and design of its time. The conflicting artistic philosophies of the school's key figures are considered, from Walter Gropius' espousal of expressionism to Laszlo Moholy-Nagy's overriding belief that fewer aesthetic ambitions would yield more functional products-that less is more. With a stellar faculty that also included Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Breuer, Josef Albers, and Mies van der Rohe, the Bauhaus inspired the artistic and constructivist principles that gave rise to many icons of 20th-century design and architecture. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (32 minutes)
#35319 Hindu Temples (Run Time 25 min.) DVD $129.95
Hindu temples are models of the Hindu universe. And while no two temples are exactly alike, they do share some common architectural features. This video compares modern Hindu temples in North America to the classic northern- and southern-style Indian temples of a thousand years ago. Elements that have survived the centuries-the sikhara tower and the statues of the myriad manifestations of the universal spirit, Brahman-are illustrated alongside more recent aspects of temple architecture, like the assembly hall and the om symbol, in Hindu theology the sound of creation. The concepts of karma and moksha are also touched upon. (25 minutes)
#35321 Islamic Mosques (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $129.95
The mosque's minaret: alongside the dome, there is no more familiar symbol of a Muslim place of worship. But not all mosques have minarets-or even domes. This video describes the evolution of the mosque, or masjid, over time and across cultures by using the mosque at Cordoba, Spain; the Friday Mosque in Isfahan, Iran; and many others from around the world as examples. Common elements like decoration with geometric designs and Arabic calligraphy, the place for ritual cleansing, the imam's podium, and the niche that signifies the direction of Mecca are presented, along with a capsule history of Islam's birth and spread. (25 minutes)
#37273 Great Sites of Antiquity Video Clip Collection (Run Time 62 min.) DVD $129.95
This beautifully filmed collection of 21 three-minute clips brings important sites of antiquity to life with spectacular aerial and ground-level footage, computer-generated reconstructions and fly-throughs, and authentic dramatizations. Each clip marks the site's geographic location on the globe and then summarizes its history, offering important cultural insights along the way. A wide-open window on the rich legacy bequeathed to humankind by our ancestors. Video clips include... The Near East • Baalbek, Lebanon: Baalbek was one of the most important pilgrimage spots of the Roman Empire. This clip highlights the Temples of Jupiter, Venus, and Bacchus-and the remarkable engineering that was required to build them. • Palmyra, Syria: This clip recounts the dramatic story of an immensely prosperous but short-lived realm situated at a major caravan crossroads between the Parthian and Roman Empires. • Petra, Jordan: The capital of the Nabatean civilization sat astride the ancient Incense Road. In this clip, the Khazneh and intricate water management system are spotlighted. North Africa • Alexandria, Egypt: This clip roams the city of Alexandria, from the Caesarium, to the Macedonian necropolis, to the ingenious network of under-street canals, to the sea floor, where parts of the legendary lighthouse have been discovered. • Carthage, Tunisia: In this clip, Carthage-both the city and the civilization-is surveyed, from its founding to its fall after the Punic Wars with Rome. The city's ingenious harbor structures are given special attention. • El Jem, Tunisia: Modeled on the Colosseum, the amphitheater in this well-planned Roman city could hold up to 30,000 spectators. That arena and mosaics from the city's outlying villas are featured in this clip. • Giza and Saqqara, Egypt: On the plateau of Giza and Saqqara are 100 pyramids. This clip goes inside the most ancient, Djoser's, and the largest, Cheops'-the only one of the Wonders of the Ancient World still standing today. • Thebes, Egypt: The Tomb of Hatshepsut is the focus of this clip. The most majestic edifice in the Valley of the Kings, it serves as a reminder of a powerful ruler whose existence has been all but wiped from the annals of Egyptian history. • Karnak, Egypt: The Temple of Karnak is the largest column sanctuary in the world. This clip roams the sacred precinct, giving special attention to the Temple of Amun Ra, the heart of the complex. • Luxor, Egypt: The Temple of Luxor, with its monumental entrance, colossal colonnade, and courtyards, is featured in this clip. The Chamber of the Divine Birth and the Opet Festival are given special attention. Southern Europe • Cerveteri, Italy: The necropolis near Cerveteri is a true city of the dead, complete with streets and squares. This clip goes inside the tombs, where bas reliefs and murals tell much about Etruscan life. • Delphi, Greece: Sporting events and religious rituals at the Delphi complex, built on a spur of Mount Parnassus in the land of Apollo, are the focus of this clip. The track, sanctuary, and theater are featured. • Olympia, Greece: This clip surveys the sports complex at Olympia: the stadium, the palaestra, the Temple of Hera, and the Temple of Zeus, with its ivory-and-gold statue of the god-one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. • Pompeii, Italy: When Mount Vesuvius erupted, Pompeii was smothered under soot and ash. This clip reveals marvelously preserved structures that provide insights into a populous Roman city where life suddenly stopped. Mesoamerica • Chichen Itza, Mexico: Once a vital cultural and religious center, Chichen Itza is renowned for its Cenote of Sacrifice. This clip highlights El Castillo, the Temple of the Warriors, El Caracol, and the ball court where losers lost their heads. • Easter Island, Chile: Also known as Rapa Nui and Isla de Pascua, Easter Island is the home of the Moai. This clip sheds light on those enigmatic statues as well as on the island's bird-man carvings and rongorongo tablets. • Cahuachi, Peru: The giant geoglyphs of the Nazca are visible in their entirety only from the sky. This clip reveals their enigmatic splendor, as well as details of life-and death-in the city of Cahuachi. • Palenque, Mexico: This clip goes inside the palace complex and the Temple of Inscriptions in this magnificent Mayan city carved from the jungles of Chiapas. Murals and stucco reliefs of human sacrifices are spotlighted. • Teotihuacan, Mexico: Who founded this immense city of 200,000-and, hundreds of years later, who destroyed it? The Pyramids of the Sun and Moon and the so-called Avenue of the Dead are featured in this clip. • Trujillo, Peru: Trujillo was once home to the ancient Moche people. The Pyramids of the Sun and Moon and the 1,500-year-old remains of the Lord of Sipan are the main focus of this clip. Some finely molded ceramics are also presented. • Uxmal, Mexico: This clip examines the Pyramid of the Magician, the Governor's Palace, and the Nunnery Quadrangle-mute testimony to the technical skill and spirituality of the Mayan people. Filmed with the patronage of UNESCO. (63 minutes)
#4108 Mr. Jefferson and His University (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
Thomas Jefferson was the architect not only of the Declaration of Independence but-in a literal rather than literary sense-of the University of Virginia and Monticello. This documentary looks at the places Jefferson designed and built to examine the originality of his thought and his astonishing achievements in a state that was then America's frontier. (58 minutes)
#6074 Frank Gehry: Architecture in Motion (Run Time 45 min.) DVD $149.95
An iconoclast with great reverence for the past, Frank Gehry is constantly breaking new ground. Experimenting with new and nontraditional materials, he has changed the vernacular of architecture and furniture design. In this program, architects, artists, critics, and Gehry himself discuss the symbolism, emotion, and spirit that invigorate Gehry's projects around the world. (45 minutes)
#6272 Alvar Aalto: Technology and Nature (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $149.95
Filmed in his native Finland, Italy, Germany, and the U.S., this program looks at the life and work of Alvar Aalto and examines his creative style in the context of his time, the traditions he inherited, and the country and climate in which he lived. For Aalto, the Finnish landscape was much more than the background to which he successfully molded his own creations; he had an almost mystical affinity with it which was central to his whole achievement. Throughout his long career, Aalto's work embraced almost all the key public institutions as well as public and private housing. In the 1930s and 40s, almost single-handedly, Aalto made his country a place of pilgrimage for all who sought enlightenment as to the aesthetic possibility of the new architecture. (60 minutes)
#6418 Norman Foster (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
A free spirit of modernism, Sir Norman Foster has long been known for the brilliant way he brings natural light into the buildings he designs. This documentary explores the extraordinary range of work he has undertaken, focusing on the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, the Carre d'Art in Nimes, Stansted Airport, and the Lycee Albert Camus in Frejus. The program also looks at some of Foster's most recent projects, including the construction of the new Reichstag in Berlin-a daring masterpiece that combines traditional and modern elements with both courage and delicacy. Interviews with the architect's current and former partners and colleagues are included as well. (50 minutes)
#6620 The Building of Bath (Run Time 25 min.) DVD $149.95
This program traces the development of the English city of Bath, which is famous for its imposing Georgian buildings. Among the architecture examined in the program is the Royal Crescent, which was begun by John Wood the Younger in 1767. The program explains the architectural principles that influenced the design of Bath's buildings and describes the nature and form of their construction. (25 minutes)
#6957 Carlo Scarpa (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
This beautifully photographed program, filmed on location in Italy, pays tribute to this renowned Venetian architect, famous for combining classical and modern architectural forms. Scarpa's unique ability to successfully incorporate his own designs into historical renovation projects is shown at several locations, including the 15th-century Castelvecchio in Verona and Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo. Brion Memorial-one of the great enigmas of modern architecture-is examined as a hybrid of classical, abstract, and Japanese architectural forms. In Venice, craftsmen and fellow architects fondly remember Scarpa's endless experimentation with color and textures. (58 minutes)
#8386 Barcelona: An Aesthetic Illusion (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $149.95
Barcelona, from the Middle Ages through the present, seems a never-ending experiment in architectural forms. From the ancient Roman Barre Gothic, to the wide Diagonal that divides the city like a great, wide river, the architecture of Gaudi, Montaner, Puig i Catafalch, and others elaborately decorates its avenues. This program explores the modernista architecture of Barcelona, while interweaving important historical events, including those of the Spanish Civil War, from the city's colorful past. (60 minutes)
#8830 Artful Architecture: The Getty Center and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $149.95
Modern museums are nearly as artistic as the art that they house. In part one of this program, correspondent Jeffrey Kaye discusses the Getty Center's design with architect Richard Meier, architecture critic Leon Whiteson, and Los Angeles Times art critic Christopher Knight. In addition, Kaye examines the Center's manuscript and photograph collections, educational outreach program, and role in worldwide art preservation. In part two, journalist Elizabeth Farnsworth talks with Frank Gehry about the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao's remarkably innovative design. Gehry's efforts to reconcile the museum with the striking local topography and heritage led to the creation of a titanium-clad, ship-like gallery combined with a "village of shapes." Critics are unified in their praise, calling the museum an architectural miracle of major significance. (29 minutes)
#9128 The Edge of the Possible: Jorn Utzon and the Sydney Opera House (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $149.95
The distinctive exterior of acclaimed architect Jorn Utzon's Sydney Opera House is so well recognized that its white shells have become synonymous with Australia itself. This program documents the story of how this national landmark came to be, from its exhilarating inception, to the political controversy that forced Utzon from the project, to its eventual completion. Extensive interviews with Utzon and other key players, archival footage, and models of this amazing structure-including the intricate interior as Utzon intended it-bring home the remarkable ingenuity of the design and the bitter disappointment of the project. (57 minutes)
#9349 Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (Run Time 33 min.) DVD $149.95
Architect Frank Gehry's extraordinary building in the Basque country of northern Spain resembles a gigantic abstract sculpture in titanium, glass, and limestone. Its luminous exterior is as visually stimulating as the cathedral-like atrium and the organic forms of the galleries-an artful complement to the building's artistic contents. In this outstanding program, Mr. Gehry discusses his design approach and the architectural evolution of the museum, from sketches, to computerized blueprints, to the completed project. (33 minutes)
#10496 Renzo Piano: Piece by Piece (Run Time 56 min.) DVD $149.95
Renzo Piano has intentionally defined no signature style because "each time the story you are telling is a different one, using a different expression." This program documents the career and the creations of the Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect, exploring his passion for visual lightness, his belief that buildings should be constructed on a human scale, and his concern that architecture is a contaminated art. Spectacular footage and excellent computer graphics reveal the visionary qualities of his achievements, including the regenerated Potsdamer Platz, Houston's Menil Collection Museum, and the Tjibaou Cultural Centre in New Caledonia. (56 minutes)
#10500 Daniel Libeskind: Welcome to the 21st Century (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
Possessed of a genius for designing buildings that are as expressive as abstract sculptures, Daniel Libeskind-called "the respectable face of radicalism"-is no stranger to controversy. In this program, Libeskind, structural engineer Cecil Balmond, architectural writer Charles Jencks, the Kensington Society's Sir Ronald Arculus, and other supporters and skeptics air their views on the Jewish Museum Berlin; The Spiral, the visionary addition to London's Victoria and Albert Museum; the Imperial War Museum-North; and the Felix Nussbaum House. Are Daniel Libeskind's sensational aesthetics setting the standards for 21st-century architecture? (50 minutes)
#10585 Air, Light, and Utopia: The Modern Movement in Architecture (Run Time 53 min.) DVD $149.95
Combining interviews with leading architects, historians, and conservationists with location footage from all over Europe, this program examines the Modern Movement in architecture, from its emergence after World War I until World War II. The first half of the documentary explores the movement's origins and ideology, spotlighting the Bauhaus in Germany, Le Corbusier in France, the Functionalists in Holland, and the Constructivists in Russia. The second half traces the movement's growth and spread, emphasizing the influence of the social climate and political environment of the interwar years upon building design. (52 minutes)
#11430 The Great Cathedral at Amiens (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $149.95
From the top of its arcade to the bottom of its vault, the Cathedral at Amiens is virtually all windows-a truly remarkable feat for 13th-century engineering. This program thoroughly examines France's monumental masterpiece, an architectural hymn to the High Gothic in stone and glass. With height the dominant aesthetic aim, skeletal construction was carried to its precarious limit, creating a sunlit nave more than 140 feet high and capable of accommodating a congregation of 10,000. The cathedral's charmed history, during which it has remained unscathed by revolution and war, is also discussed. (30 minutes)
#29735 Antoni Gaudi (Run Time 49 min.) DVD $149.95
Over the course of his career, Antoni Gaudi translated the gothic revival style into a sensuous, surreal, and highly idiosyncratic design language that established him as the leader within the Spanish art nouveau movement. Using location footage, drawings, and archival photos and film, this program places Gaudi within the context of his profession and his times. His Colonia Guell, Park Guell, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, and Sagrada Familia are featured. (Spanish with English subtitles, 49 minutes)
#30504 Centre Georges Pompidou (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $149.95
The immensely popular Georges Pompidou Center, with its whimsically industrial-looking exoskeleton and exterior escalators, rises out of the center of historic Paris like an image from a science fiction movie. Using computer graphics and archival photos and footage, this program reveals how Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers designed and constructed the Center, while interior footage illustrates how that immense space is divided up to house, among other things, a museum, a library, a design center, and a music center. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (27 minutes)
#30505 Centre Georges Pompidou (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $149.95
The immensely popular Georges Pompidou Center, with its whimsically industrial-looking exoskeleton and exterior escalators, rises out of the center of historic Paris like an image from a science fiction movie. Using computer graphics and archival photos and footage, this program reveals how Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers designed and constructed the Center, while interior footage illustrates how that immense space is divided up to house, among other things, a museum, a library, a design center, and a music center. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (French, 28 minutes)
#32476 Frank Lloyd Wright's Last Dream: Monona Terrace (Run Time 48 min.) DVD $149.95
He intended it as a gift to his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. It became one of the most contested buildings in American architectural history. This classic program presents the story of Frank Lloyd Wright's vision of a civic center on the shore of Lake Monona, a project that took nearly 60 years to complete. Filmed extensively at Monona Terrace, as well as Taliesin and Oak Park, the program chronicles the controversy and achievement of Wright's long career, featuring architects, former apprentices, Wright historian John Holzhueter, Wright archivist Bruce Pfeiffer, and former Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, who presided over construction of the Monona Terrace project. (47 minutes)
#32836 Japanese Architectural Design: East Meets West (Run Time 46 min.) DVD $149.95
Beginning with the Meiji Restoration, the techniques of Western architecture spread rapidly throughout Japan. Some architects fused the two traditions, while others subtly incorporated Western details into the modernized sukiya style. Filmed in Kyoto, this program focuses on the evolution of Japanese architecture from the late 19th century up to the Second World War. Buildings toured include the Shimadzu Foundation Memorial Hall; Murin-an; Botukuden Hall, by Shigemitsu Matsumuro; the former JR Nijo Station; Gion-kaku Tower, by Ito Chuta; Chochikkyo, by Fujii Koji; Kyoto Kaikan Hall Annex; Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art; and Yasaka Kaikan Hall, by Tokusaburo Kimura. (46 minutes)
#32994 Frank Gehry: Architecture as Art (Run Time 55 min.) DVD $149.95
Part in-depth analysis, part whirlwind tour, this program captures the essence of Frank Gehry and his iconoclastic creations through the celebrated architect's own words; the insights of Cesar Pelli, Richard Serra, Hiro Yamagata, and Rafael Moneo; and a broad sampling of Gehry's many structures, which speak for themselves. The Davis studio and residence, Loyola Law School, the Edgemar Development, the Chiat/Day Building, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and the DG Bank Building are featured, among many others. Gehry's love of motion, aesthetic exuberance, and dynamic language of design are considered, along with the seven constants that characterize his works. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (55 minutes)
#35841 Touch the Earth Lightly: The Architecture of Glenn Murcutt (Run Time 55 min.) DVD $149.95
Through more than 500 projects, Glenn Murcutt-winner of the Pritzker Prize and the Alvar Aalto Medal-has demonstrated a very personal interpretation of modernist idiom that both respects the environment and embraces local tradition. In this program, Murcutt, author/architect Francoise Fromonot, and others speak on topics such as the architect's formative years; the transparency, luminosity, refined structural form, and exquisite detail that characterize his designs; and the challenges confronting urban and suburban development. Signature structures are featured throughout, including the Done House, the Kempsey Farmhouse, the Simpson-Lee House, the Magney Houses in Sydney and Bingie Bingie, the Pratt House, and the Marika-Alderton House. (54 minutes)
#37574 Pritzker Prize-Winning Architects (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $149.95
Five very different architects, each endowed with his own unique creative vision: what could Philip Johnson, Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano, Ricardo Legorreta, and Jacques Herzog possibly have in common? A passion for their profession, certainly-and the $100,000 Pritzker Prize, architecture's most prestigious honor. In this classic NewsHour program, these five Pritzker Laureates provide insights into the art of building design and construction. Episodes include... • Philip Johnson-Looking Back: Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Philip Johnson-innovator of the International Style and proponent of Post-Modernism-reflect on his career. Segment also sold individually. • Frank Gehry on the Guggenheim Bilbao: Elizabeth Farnsworth talks with Frank Gehry about the process of designing and building the Guggenheim Bilbao. Segment also sold as a part of Architects at Work. • Renzo Piano-Looking Back: Margaret Warner interviews Renzo Piano on his life, his career, and the most distinguishing characteristics of his work. • Ricardo Legorreta and Architectural Design: Ray Suarez talks with Ricardo Legorreta about building design-inviting the end user to give input during the process, the judicious use of color in different locales, and making affordable housing that is both inexpensive and beautiful. • Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron-Collaborative Architecture: Ray Suarez interviews Jacques Herzog on the synergy that comes from working in partnership with another world-class architect, Pierre de Meuron. (60 minutes)
#37636 The Moors: Prelude to the Renaissance (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
Over seven centuries of Islamic rule, Spain became the cultural jewel of Europe. This program illustrates that flowering of art and science, placing the rebirth of classical learning in Andalusian rather than Italian cities. Writer Bettany Hughes speaks with Antonia Almagro of the Spanish National Research Council about the intellectual and aesthetic revelations a visitor from Florence or Venice might have experienced in Muslim Granada or Toledo. She also hears from historian Emilio Gonzales Ferrin, who contrasts the initial wave of Islamic settlers with more fundamentalist reinforcements brought up to defend against the Christian reconquest. Questions behind the identity of the Spanish hero Guzman El Bueno reflect these complexities within Islam. (50 minutes)
#39410 The Mystical North: Spanish Art from the 19th Century to the Present (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $149.95
Northern Spain has produced some of the world's most celebrated artists, including Picasso, Miro, Dali-and Goya, who foreshadowed modern painting with his dark political consciousness. This program studies the artistic and social turmoil that engulfed Spain as the 20th century loomed, dawned, and rolled forward. Recounting Franco's tyranny against free expression, the program looks at Spanish artists who continued to create provocative work, such as exiled film director Luis Bunuel, and those with more spiritual motives, exemplified by Antoni Gaudi's uncanny structures. Today's visionary Spanish artists and architects, such as the esteemed Santiago Calatrava, are also profiled. Contains some objectionable language and images. Original BBCW broadcast title: The Mystical North. (51 minutes)
#37630 Paradise Found: Discovering Islamic Art (Run Time min.) DVD $299.90
In this two-part series, renowned art commentator Waldemar Januszczak makes an epic journey of discovery across the Muslim world, revealing awe-inspiring architecture and art objects that evoke the history of Islam. Along the way he meets local historians and experts-as well as an array of weavers, calligraphers, potters, and jewelers-who contribute their knowledge of this fascinating art-historical field. The result is a stimulating introduction to a set of globally significant aesthetic traditions. 2-part series, 45-60 minutes each.
#29628 Skyscraper (Run Time min.) DVD $449.75
This classic five-part series offers a behind-the-scenes look at the design and construction of Worldwide Plaza-a 47-story, 770-foot tower in Manhattan-from beginning to end. A dramatic tale of money, art, human relations, and technology, the series profiles the people who financed the project, designed the structure, and operated the equipment that transformed an empty lot into a massive landmark. 5-part series, 53 minutes each.
#8848 Architecture 2000: Contemporary Cities (Run Time min.) DVD $599.70
In the words of world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, "Cities are the greatest works of art that a culture can produce." This informative and analytical six-part series, which combines outstanding aerial and ground-level footage with keen sociopolitical insights, creates a remarkable collage of urban development around the world. These programs thoroughly explore modern city architecture within a cultural context. Not available in French-speaking Canada. 6-part series, 29 minutes each.
#30650 Residential Architecture: Applied Function and Form (Run Time min.) DVD $629.65
Filmed at locations throughout Europe and North America, this series offers a wide-ranging survey of historical and contemporary residential architecture, from reinterpretations of classical ideals to designs that push the boundaries of modernity. Noted architects, as well as architectural critics and historians, discuss the houses with an emphasis on the intersection of function and form rather than theory. 7-part series, 24 minutes each.
#978 Pride of Place (Run Time min.) DVD $719.60
This is the story of American architecture in its historical and cultural context-which is also the story of America-told by its buildings and builders, by America's places, its shapes, and its aspirations. 8-part series, 58 minutes each.
#39194 Vertical City: Ten Skyscraper Case Studies (Run Time min.) DVD $899.50
Scaling some of the tallest towers in the world-including structures in the U.S., Mexico, Britain, Australia, Germany, and Sweden-this ten-part series illuminates the design and building process behind that most brazen of achievements, the skyscraper. Each episode explores specific challenges and decisions that went into the construction of a soaring edifice-helping students to understand site choices, building materials, and passionate artistic visions. The series also uncovers the political maneuvering and high finance that are inseparable from the world of the skyscraper. 10-part series, 28 minutes each.
