Throughout the summer, we are looking at some of the iconic landmarks around the globe in “Wonders of the World." This week, Ivan went to the Big Apple and a building that is infamous across the world. Architectural Historian Danielle O’Donovan joined Ivan again to tell him the story of “The Empire State building”.
Apr 2020
Wonders of the World: Big Ben
This week, Danielle O'Donovan told the story behind Big Ben, Westminster and the Houses of Parliament from the mid-nineteenth century, when a political hot potato was tossed between the two sides of the house as they seek an architect for their new parliament.
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10m 41s
Jan 2025
Hagia Sophia: Where Worlds Collide
The Hagia Sophia is a landmark that has stood for 1500 years, and that players can clamber all over in Assassin’s Creed Revelations. It is remarkable not only for its longevity, but also for its blending of multiple cultures: their art, architecture, languages and faiths.
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42m 31s
Jan 2025
219. Building The Taj Mahal: Love, Loss, & Splendour (Ep 2)
Within days of his beloved wife’s death, Shah Jahan starts designing his grandest architectural project yet to express his love for her. Her mausoleum is to be a domed, symmetrical, bright white building surrounded by aromatic gardens. But the infamous Taj Mahal is not the only b ... Show More
50m 55s
Jun 30
The Colosseum Becomes a Wonder | A Conversation with Barry Strauss & Alison Futrell
July 7, 2007. In a dramatic ceremony featuring pop stars, fireworks, and smoke cannons, the Colosseum is named one of the seven new wonders of the world. It’s an appropriately over-the-top blowout for an arena which, centuries before, was home to its own lavish events. How did sp ... Show More
37m 23s
Jun 2023
Machu Picchu Pt. 1: Wonder of the World
In the early 20th century, a history professor from Yale introduced the world to Machu Picchu—an ancient Incan city built atop the Andes Mountains. The now-legendary site is a feat of engineering, hydrology, and physics. It’s also a place of mystery, posing questions that have ba ... Show More
35m 23s