Impossible Builds

(upbeat music) -

Narrator

February, 2016, 15 months since ground was broken, and Miami's newest landmark is rising out of the ground. Construction on the Scorpion Tower has reached the seventh floor. And Zaha Hadid's twisting inside out support columns are starting to take shape. This is the first lifted columns that takes off right off the mat. This is where it's starting. Your curves start right at the bottom. -

Narrator

So far, the columns have been shaped by pouring concrete into plywood lined forms. But even the best finish is far from smooth. That's a problem. Because this skyscraper is defined by its silky curves. So from the 15th floor where the columns slim down, the exoskeleton will be formed using a groundbreaking construction material. Known as Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete, or GFRC, it's normally used as a decorative covering. But here, pre-made panels will be used as permanent formwork to deliver the building's signature curves.