Timeline - Interactive Media Script DATE/TITLE SCREEN IMAGE TEXT ON

SCREEN ≈2900 BCE, Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, England

Stonehenge shows an example of early builders’ ability to organize large, complex projects.

≈2500BCE, Pyramids, Giza, Egypt

The pyramids are another example of early builders’ ability to organize enormous structures and build to very close tolerances.

80 CE, The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

The Colosseum provides an early example of multiple contractors and subcontractors working on one project.

114 CE Library of Celsus, Ephesus, Turkey

Another Roman construction, the Library of Celsus, demonstrates an example of classic post and beam construction.

125 CE, Pantheon, Rome, Italy

The Roman Pantheon used a dome as a structural form and concrete as a building material.

532 CE, Hagia Sophia, Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey

The thrust of Hagia Sofia’s large dome caused movement in outer walls. Movement was monitored by embedding glass in walls; shattered glass indicated wall movement.

≈1120 CE, Angkor Wat, Angkor, Cambodia

Cambodia’s Angkor Wat demonstrates extraordinarily complex and decorative architecture.

1155 CE, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France

The Notre Dame Cathedral demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of building loads as evidenced by the flying buttresses.

1436 CE, Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Il Duomo), Florence, Italy

The double dome of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence was built without support from below. It is the site of some early innovations, such as safety nets to protect masons who were constructing the dome.

1631 CE, Taj Mahal, Agra, India

The Taj Mahal was designed by a consortium of architects and constructed by craftsmen imported from Persia.

1869 CE, Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, USA

Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge involved extensive use of caissons, to accomplish underwater work, and spinning of steel suspension cables—two technical contributions to modern construction.

1889 CE, Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

A large, complex cast-iron structure, the Eiffel Tower was completed with precision and detailed planning.

1931 CE, Empire State Building, New York City, USA

The Empire State Building in New York was completed in just 14 months by adopting some assembly line practices.

1997 CE, Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain

Said to be designed in Los Angeles, fabricated in Italy, and constructed in Spain, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is typical of international cooperation on large projects today.