Architecture

Andrew Graham-Dixon explores how Russia changed from a feudal nation of aristocratic excess to a hotbed of revolution at the beginning of the 20th century and how art moved from being a servant of the state to an agent of its destruction. From monuments that celebrate the absolutism of the tsars to the epic Russian landscape as inspiration; from the design and construction of gold and glittering palaces to the minutiae of diamond-encrusted Faberge eggs; and eventually to the stark and radical paintings of the avant-garde, the journey through Russian art history is one of extraordinary beauty and surprise.

Construction of the famous Basilica in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudi, was started in 1882. To this day, it has not been completed. The architecture is one of such creative madness, originality, and fantasy, that it has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. After years of piecing back together Gaudi’s master plan with advancements in computer technology and design, architects have been able to pursue the building, started 140 years ago. However, as construction progresses, some of its greatest challenges have yet to be surmounted, including the construction of 10 more spires. The team hopes to complete the masterpiece by 2026, Gaudi’s 100 year anniversary.
This film documents the complexities of respecting the original inspiration and techniques set forth by Gaudi over a century ago. Juxtaposing sequences shot in the midst of the cathedral as construction ensues, with reenactments and CGI images, the documentary draws you into Gaudi’s paradise on earth, from the origins of its inspiration to the most recent architectural additions.

Scientists and engineers fight to save Notre Dame Cathedral after the 2019 fire. When the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral erupted in flames in April of 2019, firefighters battled for nine gruelling hours to save the historic landmark. Still, Paris came alarmingly close to losing more than 800 years of history. Now engineers are in a different race against time: to rebuild the roof and secure the medieval structure of Notre Dame. Underneath the charred scaffolding and vaulted ceilings of the cathedral, scientists study the components of Notre Dame’s iconic structure to puzzle out how best to repair it.

The architectural design of Beijing's ancient complex of palaces and temples enabled it to survive centuries of earthquakes. The Forbidden City is the world’s biggest and most extravagant palace complex ever built. For five centuries, it was the power center of imperial China and survived wars, revolution, fires, and earthquakes. How did the Ming Emperor’s workforce construct its sprawling array of nearly 1,000 buildings and dozens of temples in a little over a decade?

After the success of Florence and the Uffizi, a new film production by Sky 3D and the Vatican Television Centre, taking you on a journey through the four Papal Basilicas in Rome and their treasures: St. Peter’s (one of the 25 destinations most visited by travellers from all over the world), St. John in the Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls. Four majestic buildings – each with a precious papal altar, each a treasure trove of timeless works of art and a destination for millions of travellers and pilgrims over the centuries – play the leading role in a new film tour that has been recognized as a work of cultural interest by the film board of the Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Tourism.

Andrew Graham-Dixon travels to Istanbul to immerse himself in the tumultuous world of the Byzantine Empire. He decodes the iconography of the art of the period and explains its continuing relevance.