# How one design flaw almost toppled a skyscraper

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED-Ed
- Speaker: Alex Gendler
- Year: 2021
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Engineering, History, Art, architecture and design, Teaching and learning
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/alex_gendler_how_one_design_flaw_almost_toppled_a_skyscraper)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

In 1978, Diane Hartley was writing her undergraduate architecture thesis when she made a shocking discovery. After weeks of poring over the Citicorp Center's building plans, she'd stumbled on an oversight that threatened to topple the 59-story tower into one of New York City's most densely populated districts. Alex Gendler digs into the skyscraper's potentially deadly mistake. \[Directed by Nicholas Paim, Alopra Studio, narrated by Jack Cutmore-Scott, music by Stephen LaRosa\].

## Lectures

1. [How one design flaw almost toppled a skyscraper](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/alex_gendler_how_one_design_flaw_almost_toppled_a_skyscraper/704f9f534c45), 5 min (TED's player)