MegaStructures: Petronas Towers DIGITAL STUDIO CUTDOWN TO 23:30,
pre-S&P Credits start: Research cuts: Dead space: Final NGCI
Script Researcher: October 1, 2004 PICT URE T/C IN VOI CE VOICE T/C
IN 10:00 NARRATOR VO: Malaysias Petronas Towers are the tallest
twin towers on 10:00: :02 the planet. 00 Building these 450-meter
giants pushed the outer limits of construction 10:00: technology.
Every twist and turn in the project brought drama and near 10:00
disaster. 07 :07 10:00: Narrator : $'( +,. /024 , 6 7 16 + /024 450
@+A4 = BC /02 +EG< , +E HIJK+LM( J (A4.> QR(TUV GLMW= ,
MVXLMW= Y Z[ \]^=_= , I^_= \> . 10:00: 10:00 Today, they stand,
a symbol of Malaysian pride and modernity all in a 22 :22 country
that had never built a mega skyscraper before. 10:00: 33 (` , $'( V
G`= 0bR( $( c>b \G6( . G< Z( 'CZ+E= V2+24 J eJ .
PICTURE Tease: GVs of Petronas Towers. Archive: Construction of
Petronas Towers. CGI: Petronas Towers building up. GVs L/A of
Petronas Towers night lights. Sunset Petronas Towers. CAPTION: MEGA
STRUCTUR ES PETRONAS TOWERS GVs of Petronas Towers.
10:00: 34
10:00: 10:00 They were built to be the tallest buildings on
earth a gargantuan pair of 37 :38 towers dominating the skyline of
Malaysias capital Kuala Lumpur. The mighty Petronas Towers scale 88
storeys to a breathtaking 450 meters nearly half a kilometer
high.
10:00 +,. /024 88 EY +E Q digging 34 gh`LM . GVs of 10:01: 10:01
They were building in the heart of Asias torrential monsoon belt.
The construction 40 :41 construction site wasnt made of bedrock but
unstable sediment. The towers work freeze were to rely not on
lightweight steel but concrete. A high-risk showcase project blue
lter. with a hugely ambitious schedule. So, why do it ? 10:02: 03
$'( BE VYGk( LMJ , A4 > +[L +E6(A . > +[= Vb V> . M A
\>l]\RJ, 6J $ Z(m`Lb= , V YE^Y uXE (`
building. Trafc on roads slowmo. GVs of city buildings. GVs of
New York World Trade Centre. GVs of Sears Tower.
15 10:02: 17
We now live in the age of the mega skyscraper .
= Xpcb 'CZ+E= + LMJ ]6q=. 10:02 10:02: :32 19 10:02: 10:02 New
Yorks tallest buildings were the Twin Towers of the World Trade
Centre, 35 :36 recognizable across the globe. Finished in 1977,
they topped out at 417 meters. But Chicagos Sears Tower built in
1973 held onto the record the 10:02: ultimate expression of
corporate and national pride. 48 = Zcb= k> , AL LM( +Y /024 (
\rAY e( A> +2 V> . b 1977 -J , 417 @+A4 LMJ +[ Z[YX+b . J(
j(1973 -J +X+ , $/-'( Sears /0= X +[sJ = j[Lb . b t+E \` G`= $ VR(
$> uXE (` VXE6b . 10:02: 10:02 59 :59 10:03: 10:03 THORNTON IV :
( Y4 +2 +E6A4 (G< 07 10:03: :09 Z( = 2= . b , VY CLM V YM o>
GkA . 06 H&S of Dr Mahathir T/ . He was determined to win
global recognition he set a challenge that would D to desk. do just
that. 10:04 MAHATHIR IV: Of the 5 Southeast Asian countries
Malaysia was the least known, 10:04: :09 so in order to tell the
world that we are here, we have arrived, we need something 13
spectacle and I think a tall building provides that answer.
MAHATHIR IV : (6Y< $'J 4 >b Eu , $ ( M j= E .J 24 2
H&S of Dr Mahathir.
10:04: building. 06 H&S of Dr Mahathir T/ D to desk.
ARJ , > CLM V YM o> GkA . . He was determined to win
global recognition he set a challenge that would do just that.
H&S of Dr Mahathir.
10:04 MAHATHIR IV: Of the 5 Southeast Asian countries Malaysia
was the least known, 10:04: :09 so in order to tell the world that
we are here, we have arrived, we need something 13 spectacle and I
think a tall building provides that answer. MAHATHIR IV : (6Y<
$'J 4 >b Eu , $ ( M j= E .J 24 2 VX '= X+b . +[24 ( G< MJ \L=
.
Flash tower. 10:04: 10:04 GVs of 24 :25 buildings. 10:04: 26
Archive: Malaysian 10:04: 10:04 racecourse. 33 :38
But pushing at the boundaries of the possible meant taking risks
big risks. A symbol of national pride could easily turn into the
spectre of national humiliation . J VYA2 , ( J 4_b A \>b . 7X e
A . $ VR( $( VX C[ '= , LM( BE Z[= . . The year was 1991. The site
of Kuala Lumpurs racecourse was about to become the centerpiece of
the new Malaysia.
Trafc on road fast forward. Building T/ D. GVs of market.
10:04: 10:04 The brief was to create a pair of giant skyscrapers
they were to be the new 46 :46 home of Malaysia's national oil
company, Petronas, the biggest business in the country. They would
transform the face of Kuala Lumpur. But there was a 10:04: catch .
47 10:04: ug }J(J , V [ 'CZ+E= +2 48 VY +[24 ( , $ $ Co 10:05 \`LM(
E . +,. , +[ 7X 10:04: L/As of :02 eCo \`= . b /=e( ZL Gk 52
buildings. Y +,. 'LMb (` . .
10:05: Islamic 38 woman walking through building cut to
designs.
10:05 He soon discovered that when they said Malaysia they meant
Islamic, and :39 Islamic art is utterly distinctive. A ''J , $ (`
}JW= pcb , b hY b , (` CE 10:05 :46 j[LA. Because Islamic law
forbids depictions of people, it uses geometric designs like
circles, or plants and letters of the alphabet.
M/S of Cesar 10:05: 10:05 PELLI IV: I think I looked at every
book on Islamic art, every publish we had Pelli. 57 :58 piles of
books here. H&S of Cesar Pelli looking through window. 10:06
10:06 But how to translate all that into a skyscraper? Pelli came
up with a :04 :05 revolutionary two-tower design he linked them
with a bridge half way up to make a symbolic gateway to the new
Malaysia, something nobody had 10:06 attempted before. :08 Pelli ew
to Malaysia to present his ideas to the key players it was a huge
GVs of gamble. They loved the concept but the Prime Minster didnt
think it was skyscrapers. 10:06 10:06 Malaysian enough . :14 10:06
:21 J J= X[ 'CZ+E= +[ G`b ? Pelli V Hands :17 opening 0+$ V /0L
M+Lb( >A . V /02_= M paper. LMJ , V LM( f= >b VYb >A , ( ,
ZY6 Au= appear in Z(XG< . b V 7X e l+= J V>b . JiVYb . J j
>Me, > M+LMJ b ^ , $L ( J (` \LA .
. 10:06 Pelli modied his design again and again. Each time, it
was rejected. The :36 project, it seemed, was doomed before it even
reached the drawing board. Then, a sudden breakthrough from a
surprising source the Prime Minister took 10:06 things into his own
hands . :48 Pelli , V M+ [L , @CE= , @CE= Gk LA . TUV Zn= ,b \eYX+b
. X n= Z( , A M+24 hVC . V MA LMsV>b , V MA CEj[X0 . j >Me ,
M+ [L uJ ELbY BCA . .
Prime Minister sitting at desk, drawing.
$L ( J (` \LA .
. 10:06 Pelli modied his design again and again. Each time, it
was rejected. The :36 project, it seemed, was doomed before it even
reached the drawing board. Then, a sudden breakthrough from a
surprising source the Prime Minister took 10:06 things into his own
hands . :48 Pelli , V M+ [L , @CE= , @CE= Gk LA . TUV Zn= ,b \eYX+b
. X n= Z( , A M+24 hVC . V MA LMsV>b , V MA CEj[X0 . j >Me ,
M+ [L uJ ELbY BCA . . H&S of Prime Minister cut to drawing on
paper. 10:06 10:06 MAHATHIR IV: I did try to put my ideas on paper
in order to give it some Islamic :55 :55 inputs. MAHATHIR IV : h7
[= BEXG , ( ( 6LMJ ZG$ o( . His idea was for a oor plan based on
two interlocking squares. In Islamic symbolism this represents
order and harmony. At last, the Prime Minister was happy. But Cesar
Pelli still had a problem the design wouldnt supply the oor space
they needed. How could he satisfy the brief and the Prime Minister
? [X0Y< , V , CE 4jX0 b2 [XY BCb . h= MeY< 7 >= . J Cesar
Pillai Y< , HA>b jg$ V>b . > M+LMJ , LbY^ JJ , V Y<
24 Q Z= , LMG< c +_= Y CE= . 'J X_ .
build up. GVs of city buildings.
10:09 :12
. Then the Malaysians did something very unusual the contracts
for the two towers went to two different construction companies.
The Prime Minister believed competition would keep things on track.
The pressure was immense. To stay on schedule, construction would
have to run uninterrupted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week an
exhausting workload . cL= 'JJ V>b . +X [ Y , +[X Q4 , H>^ JJ
, V Y< 24 Q Z= , LMG< c +_= Y CE= . 'J X_ .
10:09 Trafc on 10:09 :17 road T/S :22 to night. (Fast forward).
10:09 10:09 :29 :35 CGI: 10:09 Petronas :36 Towers. GVs of New
York.
. The Malaysians wanted the best men to lead their two teams.
They wanted to learn from the experts. So they decided to play safe
for the rst and last time in this rollercoaster project. They went
to the place with a skyscraper track-record a century long New York
city.
2/S in cab.
Boxed shots Bob Pratt. 10:10 :01
10:09 10:09 These two men were to be in charge of the rival
teams. They had years of :51 :52 experience building tall, but they
had plenty to learn about working in Malaysia. Foreman Bob Pratt
was in charge of Tower One . 10:10 > CE mA_= , +[ A . :02 A4 +=
+EMJ V = 7YA4 , J $'J o , A4 \ G`YB4 C[ V>b . Z(mA Bob Pratt ,
ZJ /0LbY< , p`X V>A . .
H&S of Bob 10:10 10:10 PRATT IV: Suddenly there was a buzz
in the air within our senior management that Pratt. :06 :06 there
was this mega project were all gonna pack up and go off to the
jungles of Malaysia and build the biggest buildings in the world.
Boxed shots Bob Pratt and Jon Dunsford. 2/S of Bob and Jon. 10:10
10:10 Pratts rival was Tower Two foreman, Jon Dunsford . :16 :17
Pratt ( +[A , Jon Dunsford , Cb 10:10 /0LbYA . :20 . He was in
France when he got the call. H&S of Jon 10:10 10:10 DUNSFORD
IV: Be in Kuala Lumpur in 2 days. Dunsford. :24 :24 Trafc - T/S
10:10 10:10 along road. :27 :29 (Fast forward). 10:10 :34 Archive:
Foundations of site. 10:10 :46 GVs of workmen working. The two men,
complete with families, arrived in Malaysia their home for the next
6 years. The budget clock was already counting the time the time
they had to nish the task. They found they couldnt even start. They
hit a major obstacle before the rst bucket of concrete was poured
there was something wrong with the ground . > VV= , 2_ Zc b'+A .
m EL ` V2_Y< , b ( E . ^ ^ [=,LG Y6 =jLMV>b . A4 Z[Y b . A4
Z[Y V n= , b2A . A4 , T^ e /02L 2 , `M MAALA . J \ o^ Z[^4 7 V>
.
. H&S of Bob 10:11 10:11 PRATT IV: What we found was, we
were sitting not only on some decayed limestone, Pratt. :29 :29 but
we were sitting on the edge of a cliff. PRATT IV : 24 ( CE j[L= (J
, 24 A>MAXb V $^G V hC=0Y Gu( J +E= J , ( g$ 'u=jW= t ( .
J \ o^ Z[^4 7 V> .
. H&S of Bob 10:11 10:11 PRATT IV: What we found was, we
were sitting not only on some decayed limestone, Pratt. :29 :29 but
we were sitting on the edge of a cliff. PRATT IV : 24 ( CE j[L= (J
, 24 A>MAXb V $^G V hC=0Y Gu( J +E= J , ( g$ 'u=jW= t ( .
Archive: 10:11 10:11 At one side of the site there was solid
limestone, but the rest of the construction Workmen on :35 :36 area
was much softer, brittle rock. It would crumble under the immense
weight site. of two 88-storey skyscrapers. If they built here, the
soil would settle unevenly on one side the towers would sink or
even collapse . 10:11 CGI: +EX . J :47 Petronas @7V> b . b 88 [
+[LM( , 2J `26'E= . > into ground. 10:11 LMJ +[J , > C V0 ,
7JJ [n= , J 10:11 :55 :58 /024 f]= Jb >b `2= . Archive: Workmen
on site. . The team could end up with the Leaning Towers of
Malaysia. The whole project was in jeopardy. Time was ticking away
as they searched for a solution. M/S of Charlie Thornton. 10:12
10:12 THORNTON IV: We sort of took all of our prior thinking, threw
it away, and said :09 :09 weve got to do something different here.
THORNTON IV : 24 J Z(n= ELb , u k>= . 2 'LM ( o Z[^ o= .
Charlie unrolling plans.
10:12 10:12 Charlie Thorntons idea was nothing if not daring he
proposed moving the :16 :17 entire building 60 meters onto the
softer ground. It seemed like a mad idea but there was clear
thinking behind it. They planned to drive a series of enormous
piles 120 meters down through the soil, to the hard strata beneath.
Then they could make their own bedrock on top the buildings were
going to sit on a vast concrete raft. In effect they were going
10:12 10:12 to nail the towers to the ground with the worlds
deepest foundations . :24 :33 Charlie Thonton -m( 7^= bQg (` . A ,
L +[Ln= , 60 @+A4 4u , ( \LMJ + e>b oA . > , V LML e>b . J
( j( V u $> V>b . A4 M+7+A4 , 120 [ LbY< CY V ( X VY Z[n=
. +[= > `M concrete Xj( J A>bB4_= . ( ' , A4 > /02_Y , 6(
7 .ML VYX 6A4 .
CGI: Petronas Towers move back. Piles.
10:12 :40
Archive: 10:12 Workmen driving piles :48 into ground. CGI: Piles
Z/O to Petronas Towers.
. Archive: 10:12 10:12 It was early 1993. Construction nally got
started. Building the foundation slab
Charlie Thornton.
:09
:09
weve got to do something different here. THORNTON IV : 24 J Z(n=
ELb , u k>= . 2 'LM ( o Z[^ o= .
Charlie unrolling plans.
10:12 10:12 Charlie Thorntons idea was nothing if not daring he
proposed moving the :16 :17 entire building 60 meters onto the
softer ground. It seemed like a mad idea but there was clear
thinking behind it. They planned to drive a series of enormous
piles 120 meters down through the soil, to the hard strata beneath.
Then they could make their own bedrock on top the buildings were
going to sit on a vast concrete raft. In effect they were going
10:12 10:12 to nail the towers to the ground with the worlds
deepest foundations . :24 :33 Charlie Thonton -m( 7^= bQg (` . A ,
L +[Ln= , 60 @+A4 4u , ( \LMJ + e>b oA . > , V LML e>b . J
( j( V u $> V>b . A4 M+7+A4 , 120 [ LbY< CY V ( X VY Z[n=
. +[= > `M concrete Xj( J A>bB4_= . ( ' , A4 > /02_Y , 6(
7 .ML VYX 6A4 .
CGI: Petronas Towers move back. Piles.
10:12 :40
Archive: 10:12 Workmen driving piles :48 into ground. CGI: Piles
Z/O to Petronas Towers.
. Archive: 10:12 10:12 Workmen :53 :57 building foundation slab
trucks arrive. It was early 1993. Construction nally got started.
Building the foundation slab was going to be a huge job in itself.
If the concrete dried unevenly, the whole raft would crack it could
seriously weaken its ability to support the giant building above,
so they were going to have to pour it all in one go. That meant
pouring concrete for 52 hours without a break a truckload every two
and a half minutes . > CE 1993 . $ , +[X Q4 == 6 . VXM , .M= Xb
( , 7Xe >b . > Concrete -4 , 7JJ o>J , [+LMJ j^4 C +[LMG e
,A JG oX04 j V>b , V HYLM e>b . A u ELbY BCA . H&S of Jon
10:15 10:15 DUNSFORD IV: Was I disappointed that we started 30 days
behind? It was part of Dunsford. :18 :18 the plan. And on 3 years,
4 years of your life, 30 days dont really make that much
difference. DUNSFORD IV : A , ZXb +4 j(0 H26G , ( G= > ? b^=
M+LM( V jg$ >MLA4 . H&S of Bob 10:15 10:15 PRATT IV: The rst
few months of our operation was a disaster. Pratt. :36 :36 GVs of
10:15 10:15 Nothing went right. The schedule said each of the 88
oors had to be built in construction :41 :44 only 4 days. Right
now, it was taking them 8. The sense of rivalry was mounting. in
progress. H&S of Jon 10:16 10:16 DUNSFORD IV: Thats probably
the rst time there was ever a dialogue of youve Dunsford. :00 :00
lost time against the other tower. Archive: Construction site T/U
to low towers. Boxed shot Bob Pratt/ construction. Boxed shot Jon
Dunsford/ construction. H&S of Jon Dunsford. H&S of Bob
10:16 10:16 The difference was clear Bob Pratts Tower One was
winning over Jon :07 :09 Dunsfords Tower Two. 10:16 :12 10:16
:23
10:16 10:16 DUNSFORD IV: They denitely hit their stride and
started to pull head. :15 :15 10:16 10:16 PRATT IV: It was very
exciting you could stand back literally week by week and
GVs of construction in progress. H&S of Jon Dunsford.
Archive: Construction site T/U to low towers. Boxed shot Bob Pratt/
construction. Boxed shot Jon Dunsford/ construction. H&S of Jon
Dunsford. H&S of Bob Pratt.
10:15 10:15 Nothing went right. The schedule said each of the 88
oors had to be built in :41 :44 only 4 days. Right now, it was
taking them 8. The sense of rivalry was mounting. 10:16 10:16
DUNSFORD IV: Thats probably the rst time there was ever a dialogue
of youve :00 :00 lost time against the other tower. 10:16 10:16 The
difference was clear Bob Pratts Tower One was winning over Jon :07
:09 Dunsfords Tower Two. 10:16 :12 10:16 :23
10:16 :15 10:16 :19
10:16 DUNSFORD IV: They denitely hit their stride and started to
pull head. :15 10:16 PRATT IV: It was very exciting you could stand
back literally week by week and :19 watch this thing grow on the
skyline of Malaysia.
Construction 10:16 10:16 Speed was vital if the builders were to
meet their deadline, but the smallest error in progress. :26 :27
could weaken the buildings structure and wreck the whole project.
CGI: 10:16 Petronas :38 Towers building up. + \0A4 ,A_ YE^Yb .
Concrete -u( , $k ' fYt` `E , b M cLLMJ X[ 2 4 .
Archive: Construction in progress laying cement oors. Cement
lorries conveyer belt. Testing room man at computer.
10:23 10:23 It had been a narrow escape if the faulty batch of
concrete hadnt been :44 :46 discovered, the results would have been
unimaginable. The testing facilities were upgraded. Three concrete
plants, right on site, meant 10:23 a problem with one wouldnt hold
up the whole operation. Every batch would :51 10:23 now be tested
to the limit before being poured into the Towers. :53 10:24 :00
ReRJ XjA4 . > Concrete +E= CEj[YXJ V>MV>J , ( Z[^ G o Z[ ^
V>MVYW= , G CE HIg4 VXJ , +EX Q b . TUV Hb '+b . A4 > /02
+E=
oor. H&S of Krishnaswa mi
10:23 10:23 KRISHNASWAMI IV: It was a very stressful day. :42
:42 KRISHNASWAMI IV : b V 7 cL= \> 4 .
Archive: Construction in progress laying cement oors. Cement
lorries conveyer belt. Testing room man at computer.
10:23 10:23 It had been a narrow escape if the faulty batch of
concrete hadnt been :44 :46 discovered, the results would have been
unimaginable. The testing facilities were upgraded. Three concrete
plants, right on site, meant 10:23 a problem with one wouldnt hold
up the whole operation. Every batch would :51 10:23 now be tested
to the limit before being poured into the Towers. :53 10:24 :00
ReRJ XjA4 . > Concrete +E= CEj[YXJ V>MV>J , ( Z[^ G o Z[ ^
V>MVYW= , G CE HIg4 VXJ , +EX Q b . TUV Hb '+b . A4 > /02 +E=
10:24 Z( , G jeLbY BC[V>A4 . laying :14 cement oor. For the
chief engineer Charlie Thornton, it was embarrassing and expensive.
M/S of Charlie Thornton. Archive: Crane lifting objects workmen
laying oor. 10:24 10:24 THORNTON IV: That hurts your ego. It hurts
your sense of satisfaction. It can also :19 :19 hurt your pocket
book. 10:24 10:24 More important for the two construction teams,
they were struggling to stay on :25 :25 schedule. And if they didnt
want to face hefty penalties, they were going to have to make up
time and fast. CE b BC V>b . Petronas Towers Long hours took
their toll. night T/U. H&S of Wong. 10:26 10:26 FUNG IV: :41
:40 FUNG IV (English VO): Sometimes we worked for 24 hours from 8
in the morning T/S of trafc 10:26 10:26 until 8 oclock the next
day. So sometimes when I drove the car back, when I reached night.
:47 :42 the trafc lights I stopped and then fell asleep in the car
until the car behind honked H&S of 10:26 me and then I moved
on. Wong. :51 Trafc on 10:27 road night. :01 H&S of Kris. Men
working on building. Archive: Petronas Towers under construction
T/U. Boxed shots: Bob Pratt. Boxed shots: Jon Dunsford. T/U up
building Fast forward. L/A of crane cut to workmen. 10:27 10:27
KRISH IV: So we had to work 7 days a week as wel,l you know, and
that was all we :05 :05 dedicated the two years of our lives you
know. 10:27 10:27 The superhuman efforts started to pay off.
Construction was at last back on :11 :12 track. Bob Pratts Tower
One stood at 64 oors. Jon Dunsfords Tower Two still 10:27 lagged
behind at 60. The race was on. :14 10:27 They were now more than
300 meters up, towering above every other building :17 in the city.
10:27 :21 10:27 Tiredness and stress led to mistakes. The Petronas
Towers site was one of the :28 safest in the world. But working
almost a third of a kilometer above the earth, 10:27 the slightest
error could be fatal. :24 10:27 10:27 :28 :34
10:27 :39 10:27 :43
H/A of ground from towers. 2/S on roof. H/A of ground from
towers. Man climbing up
10:27 10:27 Even with the best safety precautions, it was an
awesome height. :47 :47 Slender scaffolding, hard hats and safety
ropes were all that stood between 10:27 workers and the immense
drop. :51 10:27
Wong. :51 Trafc on 10:27 road night. :01 H&S of Kris. Men
working on building. Archive: Petronas Towers under construction
T/U. Boxed shots: Bob Pratt. Boxed shots: Jon Dunsford. T/U up
building Fast forward. L/A of crane cut to workmen. 10:27 10:27
KRISH IV: So we had to work 7 days a week as wel,l you know, and
that was all we :05 :05 dedicated the two years of our lives you
know. 10:27 10:27 The superhuman efforts started to pay off.
Construction was at last back on :11 :12 track. Bob Pratts Tower
One stood at 64 oors. Jon Dunsfords Tower Two still 10:27 lagged
behind at 60. The race was on. :14 10:27 They were now more than
300 meters up, towering above every other building :17 in the city.
10:27 :21 10:27 Tiredness and stress led to mistakes. The Petronas
Towers site was one of the :28 safest in the world. But working
almost a third of a kilometer above the earth, 10:27 the slightest
error could be fatal. :24 10:27 10:27 :28 :34
10:27 :39 10:27 :43
H/A of ground from towers. 2/S on roof. H/A of ground from
towers. Man climbing up steps. H/A of ground from towers.
10:27 10:27 Even with the best safety precautions, it was an
awesome height. :47 :47 Slender scaffolding, hard hats and safety
ropes were all that stood between 10:27 workers and the immense
drop. :51 10:27 :52 Even the most experienced could nd themselves
paralysed by fear. 10:27 :57 10:28 :02
10:28 Workmen on :03 roof. H&S of Wong. CGI: Petronas
Towers. Archive: Petronas Towers under construction. 10:28 :08 FUNG
IV:
10:28 FUNG IV (English VO): So I looked down there were 42
levels below me. If we fell 10:28 :09 down wed fall 42 levels
straight down. :19 10:28 10:28 Mid 1995. Eighteen months to go. :19
:20 1995 = CE LMJ . (= M+E 24 VY6b 10:28 :24 As the towers took
shape, they began to dominate the Kuala Lumpur skyline. 10:28 10:28
:29 Beneath the sky-walkers of the exterior, attention now turned
to the inside of the towers. It wasnt enough to build the walls
these had to be living, breathing :36 buildings. 10:28 10:28 The
complex was to consist of ofces, a shopping centre and an eight
hundred:40 :41 seat auditorium.
H/A of Petronas Towers. Interior of Petronas
H&S of Wong. CGI: Petronas Towers. Archive: Petronas Towers
under construction.
10:28 :08
FUNG IV:
10:28 FUNG IV (English VO): So I looked down there were 42
levels below me. If we fell 10:28 :09 down wed fall 42 levels
straight down. :19 10:28 10:28 Mid 1995. Eighteen months to go. :19
:20 1995 = CE LMJ . (= M+E 24 VY6b 10:28 :24 As the towers took
shape, they began to dominate the Kuala Lumpur skyline. 10:28 10:28
:29 Beneath the sky-walkers of the exterior, attention now turned
to the inside of the towers. It wasnt enough to build the walls
these had to be living, breathing :36 buildings. 10:28 10:28 The
complex was to consist of ofces, a shopping centre and an eight
hundred:40 :41 seat auditorium. 10:28 :49 With ten thousand people
using the towers every day, the biggest challenge was getting them
where they wanted to go.
H/A of Petronas Towers. Interior of Petronas Towers. Public
entering building fast forward. T/S around building. CGI: Floor
plan of elevators Petronas Towers. T/S of empty room. H/A of shops
on oors of building to H/A to oor. Elevator rising up. Cityscape of
Petronas Towers time lapse. Reception area public passing. 4/S VDU
screens. GVs of elevator cables to elevator.
10:28 :47
10:28 :55 10:28 10:28 Elevators take up a lot of space,
something the slender Petronas towers didnt :59 :56 have to spare.
The core of a building like the Sears Tower would take up a huge
proportion of the oor-space of Petronas. They needed a radical new
solution.
10:29 10:29 :02 :02 To solve the problem, they brought in Otis,
the company who literally invented 10:29 the elevator. :07 10:29
:12 10:29 :13
10:29 10:29 They went for high-speed elevator cars, but they
couldnt make them run as fast :20 :20 as theyd like to. People in
Asia dont like to go as quickly as Americans. 10:29 :28 A4 7 7(Y6Y
A (ELMA . J , A4 \L , Y Z['J . eYAX 10:29 g J , $ Y_Y< 'VX= J .
:33 They still needed four times the space they had available.
10:29 :34
10:29 10:29 It was a real headache for the engineers.Getting
people around looked like :38 :38 being the Achilles heel of the
Petronas Towers.Then they came up with an ingeniously simple
answer. b pkA_Y< , CR e s V>b . A4 G< V u , 0LMsL 'n(
>A .
10:29 They used what Petronas had plenty of height. They stacked
two elevators on :50 top of each other double-decker cars. When
people enter the Towers, they choose whether theyre going to go to
an
Reception area public passing. 4/S VDU screens. GVs of elevator
cables to elevator. 10:29 :34
\L , Y Z['J . eYAX 10:29 g J , $ Y_Y< 'VX= J . :33 They still
needed four times the space they had available.
10:29 10:29 It was a real headache for the engineers.Getting
people around looked like :38 :38 being the Achilles heel of the
Petronas Towers.Then they came up with an ingeniously simple
answer. b pkA_Y< , CR e s V>b . A4 G< V u , 0LMsL 'n(
>A .
10:29 They used what Petronas had plenty of height. They stacked
two elevators on :50 top of each other double-decker cars. When
people enter the Towers, they choose whether theyre going to go to
an odd or even oor.
10:30 :01 For odd oors, they stay at lobby level and use the
bottom deck of the car. But even oors, they go up a oor and use the
upper deck. 58 double elevators can Public in 10:30 service both
Towers. reception :07 area fast 10:30 forward to :07 A4 V 7(Y6R( J
(( EY6A4 . Double Decker boxed shots. A4 . Y4 +[LMJ K>b= , A4 G
C Jb + C ( A>EY CE= . G C 2_Y< , A4 GjLM \(` , 7(Y6R( ] LM
kYB4= . J + C LbY X0 , TUV C[W= CE CEY< 7(Y6X (ELMb . '^ 7(Y6 ,
G0 = (` YXE= , M LMJ 4 = JW= . ( j< Q4 , X V Ln= , 70 '[_Y< J
b . This ingenious solution meant the elevator core would be half
the size. They hit the nal months of 1995 year ve of the 6-year
schedule. b ( V 0LMsL A^ (J , b 7(Y6R( LM( MY = CE .
Boxed shots Bob Pratt. Boxed shots Don Dunsford. Archive: T/ U
towers under construction.
10:31 10:31 Outside in Tower One, Bob Pratt was still two oors
ahead of Jon Dunsford in :02 :03 Tower Two 72 against 70. Hed led
the race from the start. 10:31 They were nally on schedule. They
thought the end was in sight, when disaster :05 struck. 10:31 10:31
:08 :13 ZJ /0LbY< u , Bob Pratt , Jon Dunsford - ' , CE 24 Z(mRJ
V>A . Z72 b Z= 70 b Z= . =LMsV> , > +[RJ Z(mRJ 4A . `MA4
YE^YA4 . V BE AL Y6 pcb , A4 Z[^ CY+E= LMJ (` \LA4 . 10:31 With a
mega-build on this scale, progress had to be monitored in depth.
Bob :19 Pratt was about to get some bad news. > Me 7X e +E2uJ ,
TUV =+n= , mY CE=. Bob Pratt -Y V +oM LMV>b .
H&S of Bob 10:31 10:31 PRATT IV: The most stressful period
for me on the project and for the team at a time Pratt. :30 :29
when the structure reached about the 72nd oor. Our surveying
manager came to us one day and said, I think weve got a little bit
of a problem. Man 10:31 surveying :38 site. 10:31 H&S of Bob
:41 Pratt. 10:31 PRATT IV : Yb V 'Lg }(A . " ( \Y6( , Y< V $`
site. jg$ VY6b " (` . Archive: 10:31 10:31 Petronas :47 :47 Towers
under construction. 10:31 10:31 Building :57 :57 Z/O. 10:32 :10
Archive: Petronas Towers under construction. Precisely 25
millimeters of problem. The worst had happened Tower One wasnt
straight. It was about the width of a thumb off vertical. Even
worse, news leaked out and this was a very public project. It wasnt
enough to jeopardise the buildings structural integrity, but the
Petronas Towers were a prestige venture and it was an embarrassment
something they could really do without. bJs 25 7Js@+A jg$ . 7 '=
>b'+b . ZJ /0= J . b V +'J ^ o>MV>b . b +[LM( [X0 VX+ jg$
2L BELb . . . X Y A4 b o CE= . 10:32 If Bobs team carried on the
way it was going, the situation would get worse and :13 worse. He
was at his wits end even the weather seemed to be conspiring
H&S of Bob :41 Pratt. 10:31 Man :45 surveying site. Archive:
10:31 10:31 Petronas :47 :47 Towers under construction. 10:31 10:31
Building :57 :57 Z/O. 10:32 :10 Archive: Petronas Towers under
construction.
PRATT IV : Yb V 'Lg }(A . " ( \Y6( , Y< V $` jg$ VY6b " (` .
Precisely 25 millimeters of problem. The worst had happened Tower
One wasnt straight. It was about the width of a thumb off vertical.
Even worse, news leaked out and this was a very public project. It
wasnt enough to jeopardise the buildings structural integrity, but
the Petronas Towers were a prestige venture and it was an
embarrassment something they could really do without. bJs 25 7Js@+A
jg$ . 7 '= >b'+b . ZJ /0= J . b V +'J ^ o>MV>b . b +[LM(
[X0 VX+ jg$ 2L BELb . . . X Y A4 b o CE= .
CGI: Towers building up. H&S of Bob 10:32 10:32 PRATT IV:
The thing that I think really, kind of, really stuck you every
afternoon Pratt. :24 :24 youd be in the middle of having worked all
morning. Kind of youd get to late afternoon, and here would come
the typical Malaysian Kuala Lumpur afternoon downpour. GVs of rain
falling. H&S of Bob Pratt. CGI: Building up oors of tower.
Petronas Towers night. Dissolve: Archive: Petronas Towers under
construction. CGI: T/U towers. Boxed shot: Jon Dunsford. Archive:
Building work in progress. H&S of Jon Dunsford. 10:32 :40
10:32 If Bobs team carried on the way it was going, the
situation would get worse and :13 worse. He was at his wits end
even the weather seemed to be conspiring 10:32 against him. :16
People would run for cover and the workers would desert the
area, and youd say, how are we ever going to gure this out, hows it
going to happen?
10:32 10:32 :50 :50 10:32 10:32 The Tower One team had to resist
the urge to panic. :58 :59 Carefully, they started to correct the
problem building the tower back towards vertical. The next sixteen
oors would slant two barely-visible millimeters back 10:33 10:33
into line. Plans had to be recalculated. It was a setback Bob Pratt
could ill :04 :04 afford. 10:33 :08 10:33 :16 ZJ /0 QY jg$ e o
b26A4 . @CE= /0L 2b . b 1995 -= CE , [=A = , uX0 2eX0 Z[Y $ 24 (
V> .
. Boxed shot: Jon Dunsford. Boxed shot: Bob Pratt. Archive:
Petronas Towers under construction. H&S of Bob Pratt. 10:45 The
contest went down to the wire. From the start, Jon Dunsford had
been 10:45 :01 behind in Tower Two. But now it was time for Bob
Pratt to nd out what it felt :04 like to come second. 10:45 :07
10:45 :08+[ ( Z[^ J V26b . =LMsV> ,Jon Dunsford , Cb /0LMJ j( 26
V>A . J ,Bob Pratt , C= = (J ( (` C[ = >b'+b .
10:45 10:45 PRATT IV: I know our team was disappointed that we
didnt get to the top rst, but :11 :11 we got a little bit resigned
to the fact that it was going to happen.PRATT IV : Y< en= , ZJ L
j[YJ 24 b4b . > C Gk CE B4J , 24 QL
> +,. /02_Y< , 6( +[L + V> ' +[ , `M \ >b . b 1995
-= CE , [=A = , uX0 2eX0 Z[Y $ 24 ( V> .
. Boxed shot: Jon Dunsford. Boxed shot: Bob Pratt. Archive:
Petronas Towers under construction. H&S of Bob Pratt. 10:45 The
contest went down to the wire. From the start, Jon Dunsford had
been 10:45 :01 behind in Tower Two. But now it was time for Bob
Pratt to nd out what it felt :04 like to come second. 10:45 :07
10:45 :08+[ ( Z[^ J V26b . =LMsV> ,Jon Dunsford , Cb /0LMJ j( 26
V>A . J ,Bob Pratt , C= = (J ( (` C[ = >b'+b .
10:45 10:45 PRATT IV: I know our team was disappointed that we
didnt get to the top rst, but :11 :11 we got a little bit resigned
to the fact that it was going to happen.PRATT IV : Y< en= , ZJ L
j[YJ 24 b4b . > C Gk CE B4J , 24 QL HA>= .
Archive: Petronas Towers under construction. River T/U to Sears
Tower.
10:45 10:45 But completing the 88th oor wasnt the end of the
story. The Petronas Towers :21 :21 still werent as high as Chicagos
Sears Tower, the tallest building in the world. There was one
nishing touch before they took the crown the pinnacles . 10:45 :26
88 b EY +[^( Z['J . (= +,. /024 , 6( A> + , $/-'( Sears /02u( =
J . A4 6L , EXG< Z(0 V `M V>b . b /02u( g$ +Eb . .
Building pinnacles.
10:45 10:45 The pinnacles were why Petronas would win the Worlds
Tallest title. The :36 :36 ofcial calculation includes the height
of spires. The antennas that top the Sears Tower didnt count .
Sears Tower 10:45 Z/I. :44 ( g$4 ( , +,. /024 6( += += Y = .MX A
YEX0 tA Ln= 4Y6b . Sear /02u( J 4 =j4 YEXjJ b . . CGI: H/A of 10:45
10:45 The pinnacles were enormous structures in themselves 60 meter
steel columns, Towers. :48 :48 as high as another fteen storeys,
gently tapering to a ball on the top.
Pinnacles. Archive: Top of Petronas Tower men working. Archive:
Police escorting lorry. Workman welding.
10:45 10:45 They were manufactured off-site and out of the
country. One came from Korea, :59 :58 the other from Japan. 10:46
:04 10:46 The Japanese pinnacle, for Bob Pratts Tower One, fell
behind schedule. They :05 lost crucial days but it didnt seem to
matter, because the Malaysians had 10:46 stopped the race. :12
10:46 10:46 To create maximum public impact the plan was for the
two pinnacles to go up :16 :16 together.
Pinnacles. Archive: Top of Petronas Tower men working. Archive:
Police escorting lorry. Workman welding.
10:45 10:45 They were manufactured off-site and out of the
country. One came from Korea, :59 :58 the other from Japan. 10:46
:04 10:46 The Japanese pinnacle, for Bob Pratts Tower One, fell
behind schedule. They :05 lost crucial days but it didnt seem to
matter, because the Malaysians had 10:46 stopped the race. :12
10:46 10:46 To create maximum public impact the plan was for the
two pinnacles to go up :16 :16 together. M + Y4 L VY , V /0 g$_= (
cX CE= (b( M+= .
H&S of Krish.
10:46 10:46 KRISH IV: It was a conscious decision that we had,
that we wanted both the towers :22 :21 to go up together. KRISH IV
: CE /02_= LMJ cX CE= (b , 24 (A^( EL Z[^ .
Archive: 10:46 10:46 Top of :27 :27 Petronas Tower men
working.
But things didnt go according to plan. Determined to be rst, Jon
Dunsford didnt follow orders Tower Two did something sneaky. J
M+7+[ '24 >'J . ZsJ Z[Xb Z[^ o Jon Dunsford , ZX[ J 'J . Cb
/0LMJ , $ Z 4 oA .
H&S of Jon. 10:46 10:46 DUNSFORD IV: There were very, very
few conversations between the tower teams, :36 :36 when it came to
the pinnacle... I did not share what was going on with him and
didnt ask him what was going on with his. Man welding. 10:46
H&S of Jon. :44 10:46 :46 DUNSFORD IV : CE /0 Q_Y