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Language
English
Description
In this program, Dan Cruickshank considers the aesthetic pleasures of opulent architecture. He goes to the ultra-luxurious Taj Hotel in Mumbai, India, a spectacular fusion of Eastern and Western influences; Bavaria's Neuschwanstein Castle, built as a retreat for King Ludwig II; the Amazon Theatre, an exquisite Belle Époque-era opera house in the middle of the Brazilian rainforest; and the Villa Barbaro in northern Italy, designed by Renaissance master...
2) Paradise
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English
Description
Since the beginning of civilization, humans have paid homage to the spiritual realm by erecting beautiful structures on Earth. In this program, Dan Cruickshank visits Saint Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai desert, built where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments; China's Hanging Temple, a Taoist monastery that clings precariously to the sheer face of a cliff; two 16th-century wooden churches in the Russian wilderness that still serve...
3) Connections
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English
Description
Why do some communities thrive while others fail? Dan looks for answers in this program, with stops in Brasilia, a Brazilian city built by communists but now the preserve of the super-rich; Damascus, Syria, believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world; Rockefeller Center in New York City, born out of the Great Depression and still going strong; and Mumbai's Dharavi section - the biggest slum in India, but a vibrant home to millions...
4) Beauty
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English
Description
Dan Cruickshank explores the theme of beauty in architecture in this program, from the beauty of nature's simplicity to that of extreme ornamentation. Dan goes to Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland, where he builds an igloo and learns about Inuit culture; Leshan, China, home of the ancient Giant Buddha, the largest of its kind; Russia's Catherine Palace, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture; the Sun Temple in Konarak, India, full of erotic statues that...
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English
Description
No matter how carefully buildings are constructed, history has taught us that they can be obliterated in a matter of minutes due to natural catastrophe or deliberate attack. In this program, Dan explores Dresden, Germany, a great Baroque city destroyed in World War II but now being reconstructed; the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan, an ancient monument to peace and tolerance in the midst of a war zone; San Francisco, California, a city preparing for...
Language
English
Description
Can architecture confer immortality, if only for as long as a structure remains standing? In this program, Dan Cruikshank travels to the elaborate tomb of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt; Sedlec Ossuary, a Roman Catholic chapel in the Czech Republic decorated with human bones; Guatemala's Yaxha Mayan ruins, the site of human sacrifice and where the TV show Survivor was filmed; Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno in Genoa, Italy, famed for its beautiful and...