Beneath the crowded sidewalks and bustling streets, every city holds a secret. This December, Discovery Science peels back the layers of eight major cities to unveil the hidden technology that protect us from the onslaught of nature’s most terrifying threats. Stunning CGI animation undresses each city – shedding concrete, brick, glass and stone – to reveal science’s best defense against the elements.
Premiering December 5, STRIP THE CITY, will air on Saturday & Sunday at 9 PM on Discovery Science.
Viewers will be taken deeper into the city, bringing to light an alien landscape of underground volcanoes, hidden rivers, subterranean cliffs, fragile fault lines, and ancient catacombs – geological wonders that play a surprising role in the shaping of these cities and lives of the people above. Hear from leading engineers and geologists as they examine the ingenious designs, innovative technologies and teams of forward thinking professionals who are instrumental in keeping each city alive and well.
STRIP THE CITY utilises best of computer-generated imagery (CGI) to break down each city, layer-by-layer, to reveal a geological universe normally hidden under water, tarmacs and concrete. Using stunning CGI animation and expedition-driven actuality reminiscent of the Hollywood epic ‘Inception’, each episode peels the glass and walls off buildings, rolls up the tarmac on roads, drains oceans and rivers, and slices through bedrock to look below some of the world’s major cities – Dubai, London, Rome, San Francisco, Sydney and Toronto – and uncovers what keeps them running smoothly.
Discover the geological and structural wonders that continue to shape these cities and lives of the people who live there as these cities – stripped naked of their steel, concrete, buildings, rivers, roads and rock- bear all on the following episodes of STRIP THE CITY on Discovery Science.
A glimpse into the episodes:
1. DESERT CITY: DUBAI – The city’s leading engineers and geologists reveal the secrets hidden inside Dubai’s buildings that keep them standing, protect them from desert storms and keep residents alive in the searing heat.
2. EARTHQUAKE CITY: SAN FRANCISCO – How do the city’s buildings and infrastructures survive the onslaught of a destructive earthquake? Engineers and geologists reveal the secrets behind San Francisco’s skyscrapers, what protects the city from raging fires and what keeps residents safe.
3. HARBOUR CITY: SYDNEY – Uncover what is inside Sydney’s skyscrapers and beneath its streets that allow the city to function; from the concealed contours of the harbour that allow super-sized ships to sail into the heart of the city, to the underground caverns that store its water.
4. ICE CITY: TORONTO – How did this metropolis grow to become the largest city in Canada in such an extreme, frigid environment? Using stunning CGI animation, this film looks beneath the Toronto’s skin to discover what engineering wonders and geological forces are play.
5. UNDERGROUND CITY: LONDON – The episode lifts up Buckingham Palace to reveal a ‘lost’ river and show the innovative engineering behind the city’s brand new port under construction. The film also peels away the Tower of London to reveal the true scale of the river Thames – far from being quiet and obedient, it was once a tidal torrent, and removes the steel and glass from Europe’s tallest skyscraper – the Shard – to reveal its hidden inner workings. Will the rich clay that sits on the river one day consume the city?
6. ANCIENT CITY: ROME – This episode strips the “Eternal City’s” most famous icons to reveal the inner workings and the ingenious technology behind the Pantheon, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, and Via Appia. Descend into a cavern of tunnels that runs under most of Rome, abseil into an ancient aqueduct and explore how Rome’s new Metro is being built.
