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| Segment | Start* | End** | Length* |
| Introduction | "In the summer of 1929, war broke out on the island of Manhattan." | "Skyscrapers,
coming next on Building Big." | Approx. 3:30 |
| San Gimignano: walls and foundations; symbolism | (3:30) Stone towers | "...the world's most picturesque skylines." | Approx. 5:00 |
| Gothic Cathedrals: symbolism; tools; problem-solving;
flying buttresses | (8:30) Cathedral | "And once more, France would take center stage." | Approx. 5:30 |
| Eiffel Tower: Gustave Eiffel; iron; problem-
solving; elevators | (14:00) Exposition poster | "... making Eiffel a wealthy man." | Approx. 4:00 |
| Chicago: problem-solving; metal frames; columns and beams | (18:00) Chicago lakefront | "...the metal frame could go much, much higher." | Approx. 6:30 |
| Empire State Building: problem-solving; efficiency; plane crash | (24:30) New York skyline | "...skyscrapers might have reached their limits." | Approx. 7:30 |
| Wind Load: glass; tube frame; Citicorp building near-disaster; tuned-mass damper; tradeoffs | (32:00) Lunch counter | "...no longer just an American obsession." | Approx. 13:00 |
| Petronas Towers: symbolism; problem-solving; wind load; tradeoffs | (45:00) Petronas Towers | "...to use what tools we have. We've always done that." | Approx. 7:00 |
At 1,476 feet, the Petronas Towers in Malaysia are the world's tallest structures–for now. From Italy's medieval towers to New York's forest of skyscrapers, the program examines the psychology and physics behind skyscrapers.