Climbing Great Buildings: Imperial War Museum (BBC Four Thursday 26 October 2023)

Climbing Great Buildings: Imperial War Museum airs Thursday 26 October 2023 on BBC Four.

What is this episode about

Manchester’s Imperial War Museum North, under construction since 2000 and designed by Daniel Libeskind, exemplifies the dramatic and disturbing new wave of architectural design; it is a building that engages the senses and inspires awe.

With the help of professional climber Lucy Creamer, Jonathan makes a final ascent of more than 50 metres, revealing how the museum’s design reflects the nature of war. He abseils down into the water shard, becomes a part of the exhibition, and investigates the technological advances that allowed the building’s 80,000 square feet of aluminium to be constructed in just two years, all while he is disoriented.

Dr Jonathan Foyle, an architectural historian and novice climber, scales some of Britain’s most recognisable buildings from the Normans to the present day in order to uncover their hidden histories and trace the progression of British architecture and building techniques over the past thousand years.

Episode 15 of 15

When can we see the episode

Climbing Great Buildings: Imperial War Museum airs Thursday 26 October 2023 at 7:30pm on BBC Four

Featured Image Credit: BBC Four