The 'Cheesegrater' skyscraper
About the episode: The Freedom of the Future
From London's new 'Cheesegrater' skyscraper to the KK100 skyscraper in China (the tallest tower ever built by a British architect), episode one looks at the stunning recent work of an exceptional generation of British architects before looking in detail at some of their revolutionary projects from the 1960s and 70s.
Foster, Rogers, Nicholas Grimshaw, Michael Hopkins and Terry Farrell were born within six years of each other in the 1930s; shaped by both the opimtism of the post-war years and the sixties counterculture, these pillars of today's establishment began their careers as outsiders and radicals. Rogers and his collaborators tell the story of one of the most influential buildings of the 20th Century - the Pompidou Centre in Paris - the result of a contest he didn't want to enter and no-one ever thought they would win.
Other early projects featured include Norman Foster's glassy Willis Faber & Dumas Headquarters in Ipswich, Farrell & Grimshaw's corrugated aluminium tower block next to Regent's Park in London and the industrial-style Hopkins House in Hampstead.
Catch up with the series
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The Brits Who Built The Modern World
Join us for the series that tells the story of how an exceptional generation of British architects conquered the globe with their high-tech vision
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OU on the BBC: Free Thinking: RIBA
In this one-off programme recorded in association with The Open University, Free Thinking takes a look at The Brits Who Built the Modern World.
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Brits Who Built The Modern World: A video collection
Collected extracts from the BBC/OU series exploring the titans of British architecture
Watch nowBrits Who Built The Modern World: A video collectionLevel: 1 Introductory
Meet the architects
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Building Stories
Meet the architects and explore the stories behind some of Britain's most iconic buildings.
Take part nowBuilding Stories
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