Stories About Architecture and Architects | 60 Minutes Full Episodes

The Capitol Dome (11s)

• The United States Capitol Dome is a 288-foot-tall structure that marks its 150th anniversary of completion, and its story is one of overcoming adversity and showcasing American character (21s).
• George Washington envisioned a grand building that would make it impossible to move the capital from his city, and the Dome was built later, despite being created by men who despised each other and topped by a Statue of Freedom cast by a slave (1m2s).
• The Dome was designed by Thomas Walter, who proposed a dome that no one had asked for, and it was built using cast iron painted to look like stone to reduce the weight and make it possible to construct (1m49s).
• Walter's design was inspired by the great marble domes he had seen in Europe, but he had to conjure an illusion due to the building's inability to support the weight of a traditional dome (2m36s).
• The Dome has an inner and outer structure, with the inner dome featuring a ceiling painted with an apotheosis of George Washington ascending into heaven (3m4s).
• The Dome offers a panoramic view of the city, with a height of about 30 stories, and its completion near the end of the Civil War symbolizes the country's endurance and will to succeed (3m41s).
• The construction of the Dome was a challenging process, with a critic calling it a "great mistake" and a rivalry between the brilliant architect Thomas Walter and the genius in charge of construction, Army Captain Montgomery Meigs (4m28s).
• Despite the challenges, the Dome was completed, and its story is a testament to the country's ability to come together and achieve great things (4m20s).
• Montgomery Meigs was obsessed with gaining fame and put his name in various places, including the bricks of the DC Aqueduct, its stairs, and copper plates laid between the stones of the capital, in case it became an archaeological site in the future (4m57s).
• Meigs claimed authorship of the Dome, signing his name to Walter's drawings, which led to a dispute between the two men, resulting in Meigs being fired (5m35s).
• Meigs and Walter exchanged letters, with Meigs assuming authorship of the new dome and Walter reminding him that his appointment was at the pleasure of the President of the United States (5m52s).
• The work on the capital slowed, but planning continued, including a debate about what to put on top, and they decided to have a statue that would speak of freedom (6m25s).
• Historian Lonnie Bunch researched the project for Congress, and they went to a young American in Rome who came up with the idea to create a statue that had the look of America, representing freedom (6m34s).
• The statue, representing freedom, was described as a beautiful woman with Native American features, wearing a headdress, symbolizing a country built around the issue of freedom (6m49s).
• Philip Reed, an enslaved man, was instrumental in casting the statue, coming up with the idea of how to separate the model and cast it in bronze (7m12s).
• The construction of the statue was grounded in 1861 when the Civil War began, and Montgomery Meigs left to become quartermaster General, supplying the army with all that it needed for victory (7m47s).
• A story that Lincoln ordered the Dome to continue as a symbol that the nation would continue turned out to be false, and it was actually the contractor James Fowler Kirtland of New York who resumed work without pay (8m14s).
• Lincoln did have a famous line that if the people see the capital going on, it will be a sign that we intend the union shall go on (8m32s).
• The Rotunda is located between statues of Washington and Jefferson, and just off this room is the office of the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, who administers the campus (8m41s).
• John Boehner mentioned that he never takes the beauty of the capital for granted, having grown up in a humble background, and it's a humbling experience to be in his position (8m57s).
• The United States Capitol Dome is a symbol of the nation and its enduring union, designed by architect Thomas Walter and urban planner Pierre L'Enfant, who laid out the city with radiating streets and placed the capital at the center (9m50s).
• The Dome is 180 feet above 21st-century citizens and depicts American hard work and ingenuity, but it is also falling apart, with over 1,300 serious cracks and rust eating away at the cast iron (10m27s).
• Architect Steven SS is leading a massive repair project to cover the Dome with scaffolding, replace the rusted parts, and stitch the cracks together with metal sutures over the next two years (10m48s).
• The repair project was funded with nearly $60 million from Congress, with the support of minority leader Nancy Pelosi, demonstrating bipartisan agreement on the importance of refurbishing the Dome (11m2s).
• The Capitol Dome is a symbol of democracy and belongs to the American people, and its refurbishment is a reminder that even in times of political gridlock, important work can be accomplished (11m14s).
• The Statue of Freedom was placed on top of the Dome on December 2nd, 1863, and was cast with the help of Philip Reed, a former slave who became a free man by the time the statue was completed (11m27s).
• The Statue of Freedom symbolizes the struggle for freedom and the possibility of a better life for enslaved African-Americans, who saw the Dome as a representation of the freedom they deserved (11m52s).

The Resurrection of Notre Dame (12m36s)

• The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris caught fire almost exactly four years ago, an event that people around the world witnessed together in horror through live video on their smartphones and televisions (12m37s).
• For the people of France, the fire was especially traumatic because Notre-Dame has been a powerful symbol, both sacred and secular, since Medieval Times (12m55s).
• French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that Notre-Dame would be reopened by the end of 2024, a promise that proved difficult to keep (13m2s).
• The resurrection of the great Cathedral seems within reach on this Easter Sunday four years later (13m17s).
• Flames tore through the roof of Notre-Dame on the evening of April 15th, 2019, and spread with incredible speed and ferocity, engulfing its 200-ton Spire (13m24s).
• Jean-Lise Jalan is the man now in charge of restoring Notre-Dame, and many people in France cried because they felt that something very deep in the soul of France was about to collapse (13m40s).
• A heroic effort by the Paris fire brigade saved Notre-Dame from collapse, and a few staffers rescued precious relics by racing through falling embers (14m2s).
• Philip Vu, the cathedral's Chief Architect, was devastated by what he saw and felt that the little boy who was in love with the cathedral and the architect who was in charge of it died that day (14m14s).
• Vu now shares his duty with retired army General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who is the commander called back to meet the five-year deadline to restore the cathedral (14m45s).
• The cathedral means a lot to the people of France, as it is in some way the heart of France, where many great events took place, including Napoleon's coronation as emperor in 1804 and General Charles de Gaulle's entry into the cathedral in 1944 (15m0s).
• The collapse of the imposing Spire was a horrifying moment, and many people, including journalist and author Caroline Angier, watched in horror as it fell (15m44s).
• The Spire meant a lot to Philip Vu, who had it tattooed on his arm, and its collapse left gaping holes at the top of the cathedral and heaps of broken stone and charred wood on the floor (16m3s).
• The top priority was to shore up the grand cathedral's weakened structure, and huge temporary wooden supports were placed under the surviving stone vaults of its ceiling and under the flying buttresses (16m45s).
• A huge decontamination project was mounted to remove lead tiles that had melted from the burning roof and spire, and all the toxic lead dust spread by the fire (17m11s).
• Workers still take extraordinary precautions against lead poisoning, and tons of rubble had to be removed, paintings and stained glass windows were taken away for restoration (17m22s).
• The restoration project of Notre Dame Cathedral was underway when a fire broke out in 2019, and an investigation is still ongoing to determine the cause of the fire, with no official conclusion yet (17m51s).
• Philip V, the chief architect, feels responsible for the fire and is deeply emotional about the incident, but is determined to rebuild the cathedral (18m16s).
• Nearly a billion dollars in private donations have been pledged to rebuild Notre Dame, with most of it coming from France and $50 million from Americans (18m46s).
• Various ideas were proposed for the rebuilding of the cathedral, including a roof garden, a golden torch, and a titanium spire, but Philip V rejected these ideas, stating that an historic monument like Notre Dame should not be altered (19m20s).
• The decision was made to rebuild the cathedral exactly as it was before, using the same materials, including stone, wood, and lead (20m1s).
• The cathedral's signature spire, which was added in the mid-1800s, will be rebuilt exactly as it was, using the original drawings and sketches of architect Viet Luk (20m53s).
• A thousand French oak trees were felled to rebuild the spire, and craftsmen are working to restore the cathedral's organ and stained glass windows (21m17s).
• Around 1,000 workers and craftsmen are involved in the project, including stone cutters and sculptors who are recreating gothic gargoyles and adornments damaged in the fire (21m36s).
• Philip V is supervising every detail of the project, ensuring that the new sculptures are not only visually accurate but also tactilely identical to the originals (22m5s).
• Young craftsmen like 23-year-old Dan Leblon are working to recreate intricate details, such as floral carvings, using traditional techniques (22m19s).
• The restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral is a painstaking process, with workers and artisans reviving the cathedral's exterior and interior, including the towers and the great Rose Windows, which have been meticulously cleaned (22m40s).
• The cathedral's exterior stone has been coated with latex, which when peeled away, leaves the surface gleaming, and restorers are carefully wiping every surface with small cotton swabs dipped in a water-based cleaning solution (23m8s).
• Restorers Matilda May and Odd Mimi are working on painted stone sculptures depicting scenes from the Life of Christ, which are medieval and date back to the beginning of the 14th century (23m17s).
• A 600-ton maze of scaffolding has been built inside Notre-Dame to support the work, especially the rebuilding of the Spire, and General Joran took visitors up through it two-thirds of the way on a construction elevator (24m4s).
• The rebuilding of the Spire will be 66 meters high, and at the top of the old 200-ton Spire sat a copper sculpture of a rooster, the symbol of the French people, which was found on a lower roof after the fire and will be put on display in the restored Cathedral (24m45s).
• Philip Vu plans to put a new rooster on top of a new Spire one year to the day before the reopening of the cathedral, and the frame of the Spire will again be in the sky of Paris, resting on four pillars (25m13s).

A New Model (25m52s)

• Americans spend 90% of their time inside buildings, yet most give little thought to the role architecture plays in their lives and health (25m53s).
• A group of award-winning young architects have set out to create a new model of architecture, not a particular style of building, but a way of thinking about how to build, who should build, using what, and for whom (26m5s).
• Their nonprofit firm, Mass, is based in Boston and was inspired by the work of Dr. Paul Farmer, who passed away unexpectedly just months after the story first aired (26m31s).
• Mass's founders learned the most important lessons of architecture during their time in Rwanda, a country that was at peace after the 1994 genocide that killed over 800,000 people (26m55s).
• Rwanda is working hard to lift its population out of poverty, with several construction projects around the country, including some designed by Mass (27m12s).
• The head of Mass's team in Kigali is Rwandan architect Christian Benny Mana, who dreamed of creating buildings as a little boy but had to study in China due to the lack of a School of Architecture in post-genocide Rwanda (27m27s).
• Michael Murphy, Mass's executive director, had a different path to architecture, studying English literature before being inspired to become an architect after his father's cancer diagnosis (28m2s).
• Murphy's life took a sharp turn after college when his father was diagnosed with cancer, and he rushed back to his hometown to help restore their old home, which ultimately led to his decision to become an architect (28m14s).
• Murphy and Alan Ricks became fast friends as first-year students at Harvard's Graduate School of Design but found something wanting in the curriculum, which focused on the heroism of architecture rather than its impact on people and communities (28m58s).
• Murphy was inspired by Dr. Paul Farmer's talk about building hospitals, clinics, and schools for the neediest populations, and he realized that architects were not being utilized to help with these projects (29m24s).
• Dr. Farmer stated that architects had never asked how they could be of service, and as a result, his organization often had to do the design work themselves (29m44s).
• Murphy offered to volunteer on a Partners in Health project in Rwanda, which ultimately led to the creation of Mass (30m3s).
• Dr. Farmer asked Michael Murphy to design a laundry building, which turned out well, and later asked him to help design a hospital for a remote district of 350,000 people without a doctor (30m8s).
• Murphy, still a student, accepted the challenge and took a year off to move to the site in Rwanda, where he was given three challenges by Dr. Farmer: the hospital should be beautiful, help as many local people as possible, and have natural airflow to prevent the spread of diseases (31m1s).
• Murphy's design incorporated natural airflow, with beds placed in the middle of each ward to give patients a beautiful view, as beauty matters in the spaces around us (31m35s).
• The team couldn't afford heavy equipment, so they dug the foundation by hand, employing more people and completing the task faster and cheaper than expected (32m5s).
• Over 4,000 people worked on the project, and instead of using imported materials, they used local volcanic stone, which is considered a nuisance by farmers, to design the hospital facade (32m22s).
• The use of local materials and labor spawned a new industry, with dozens of local masons being hired and trained, including a woman who now runs her own team of masons (32m51s).
• Christian Benimana, who joined the team, was impressed by the thought given to the building process and the impact on the local economy, which is critical for giving people pride in Rwanda (33m10s).
• The team eventually became a nonprofit architecture firm, working on projects that couldn't afford high-priced designs, and have since built a maternity care center in Malawi, a hospital in Haiti, and schools, all with the same principles of airflow, beauty, and job creation (33m38s).
• A decade later, the firm has a staff of over 200, with more than half being local, and their projects continue to prioritize beauty, airflow, and job creation (33m59s).
• The hospital is designed around the idea that airflow and air movement are essential in preventing the transmission of airborne diseases among patients, with a focus on natural airflow and ventilation (34m23s).
• MASS Design Group's largest project is a 69-building campus for a new College of Agriculture in Rwanda, funded by American philanthropist Howard Buffett, which aims to create a hub for innovation and collaboration (34m39s).
• The campus incorporates local materials and designs, including furniture made by local artisans, to promote economic growth and opportunities in the community (35m10s).
• MASS Design Group's model is being applied in the US, specifically in the city of Poughkeepsie, New York, where the group is working to revitalize the downtown area and create new opportunities for growth (35m48s).
• The group is converting old buildings into new spaces, such as an art space, a food hall, and a headquarters for the Environmental Group Scenic Hudson, while incorporating natural light and ventilation into the designs (36m27s).
• The use of natural light and ventilation is a key aspect of MASS Design Group's philosophy, which aims to create healthier buildings that promote airflow and reduce the need for air conditioning (36m56s).
• The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of building design in preventing the spread of diseases, and MASS Design Group's approach is seen as a potential solution for creating healthier buildings (37m21s).
• The group's new design for a building in Poughkeepsie incorporates a solar-powered system to heat and cool air at each window, eliminating the need for traditional air conditioning and heating (37m43s).
• MASS Design Group also has a plan to transform a flooding creek in Poughkeepsie into a beautiful park space, which would help to mitigate flooding and create a holistic solution to the problem (38m20s).
• To maximize the impact of design, it is essential to consider how to make it have the biggest possible impact, a lesson that can be applied in many American cities (38m37s).
• Mass has projects in various cities, including Cleveland, Birmingham, and Santa Fe, promoting the idea that architecture should serve society (38m44s).
• The concept of architecture serving society has gained recognition, even within the academic community, as seen in Murphy's teachings at Harvard in 2021, where he shared lessons learned from his experiences in Rwanda (38m59s).
• A straightforward approach to design involves considering the essential elements, such as the things that need to be built, the people to be hired, and the materials to be used, allowing for a more significant impact when viewed as a comprehensive design project (39m12s).
• Mass was awarded the highest honor given by the American Institute of Architects in June, recognizing the firm's contributions to the field of architecture (39m19s).

A Different Kind of Vision (39m37s)

• Chris Downey, an architect, had his life drastically changed at the age of 45 when doctors discovered a tumor in his brain, which was successfully removed but left him completely blind (39m38s).
• Despite his loss of sight, Downey continued to work as an architect, finding new ways to adapt to his disability, such as using a printer that could emboss architectural drawings so that he could read and understand through touch (41m43s).
• Downey also developed a method of sketching his ideas onto plans using malleable wax sticks, allowing him to communicate his modifications to others (42m4s).
• As he adapted to his new way of experiencing the world, Downey began to notice the sounds and textures of buildings and spaces, effectively "hearing" architecture (42m16s).
• Downey's experience as a blind architect has given him a new perspective on his profession, allowing him to relearn and appreciate architecture in a different way (43m1s).
• Prior to his surgery, Downey had been warned by his surgeon that there was a slight risk of total sight loss, but he had never expected it to happen (43m44s).
• Downey's initial experience after surgery was that he could still see, but his vision began to deteriorate the next day, eventually resulting in complete blindness (43m51s).
• Downey's wife, Rosa, and their son, Renzo, were living with him when he first noticed a problem with his vision while playing catch with Renzo (43m23s).
• Downey participates in an amateur rowing team, where he is able to integrate with his teammates without his disability being a hindrance (40m25s).
• Downey's design work continues, as seen in a meeting where he collaborates with cited Architects on a new hospital building, using his adapted methods to contribute to the design process (40m55s).
• Chris Downey, an architect, woke up one day to find himself completely blind, with no light or visibility, after undergoing brain surgery, and was told by a surgeon that his condition was permanent and irreversible (44m1s).
• A social worker suggested discussing career alternatives, which made Downey feel like he was being boxed in and limited in his options, but he was determined to find a way to continue working as an architect (44m26s).
• Downey thought about his son, Renzo, and how he wanted to set an example for him by facing his challenges head-on and finding a way to adapt to his new condition (44m50s).
• He returned to work just one month after his surgery, motivated to figure out how to continue working as an architect despite his blindness (45m40s).
• Downey sought help from the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco, where he met Brian Bashan, the executive director, who is also blind (45m46s).
• Bashan's organization helps people new to vision loss learn how to adapt to their new condition and live independently, including learning how to navigate public transportation, use screen reading software, and work in the kitchen safely (46m11s).
• Downey learned how to get around in the world alone and eventually became confident enough to travel the streets on his own and engage in activities with his son, including playing baseball (46m57s).
• Downey's determination and adaptability allowed him to find new ways to work and live with his blindness, and he was able to continue pursuing his passion for architecture (48m0s).
• Chris Downey, a blind architect, has a knack for finding opportunities when faced with challenges, such as when he lost his job due to the recession just nine months after going blind (48m6s).
• Downey developed a specialty in making spaces accessible to the blind, starting with a job designing a rehabilitation center for veterans with sight loss, where his disability became a unique value he could offer (48m49s).
• He helped design a new Eye Center at Duke University Hospital, consulted on a job for Microsoft, and worked on San Francisco's Transbay Transit Center to make it accessible to the blind (48m57s).
• Downey's solution for navigating the Transbay Transit Center was to install grooves set into the concrete running the entire length of the platform, which can be followed by the blind using a cane (49m30s).
• The grooves have a subtle change from smooth to textured concrete to signal where to turn to get to the escalators, making it easy for the blind to navigate the facility (49m42s).
• Downey believes in Universal Design, which accommodates people with disabilities but is also appealing to people without them (50m4s).
• He used this approach when consulting on the total renovation of the Lighthouse for the Blind, a three-story office building, where he incorporated an internal staircase that sighted people can see and the blind can hear (50m18s).
• The building's hallways feature polished concrete for its acoustic properties, allowing the blind to hear the sound of canes or guide dogs, making it easier to navigate (51m2s).
• Downey's work on the Lighthouse for the Blind building has made it a richer and more subtle space, thanks to his unique perspective as a blind architect (51m35s).
• In 2018, Downey celebrated the 10-year anniversary of losing his sight by throwing a party and fundraiser for the Lighthouse, where he is now the president of the board (51m41s).
• Downey believes he is a better architect today than he was before losing his sight, and if he were to regain his sight, he would still want to be able to feel the design (52m12s).
• The individual expresses uncertainty about restoring their site, citing potential logistical challenges, and questions whether it would ultimately improve their life (52m30s).

The Leaning Tower of San Francisco (52m53s)

• The Millennium Tower in San Francisco, a 58-story building that opened in 2009, has been sinking into the mud and tilting towards its neighbors, sparking a wave of lawsuits and captivating the city's attention (52m54s).
• The building, which was once the tallest residential building west of the Mississippi, was priced in the millions and quickly sold out, but its fundamental problem has raised concerns about the city's zeal for development overtaking common sense (53m25s).
• The Trans America pyramid, once the gem of the San Francisco skyline, has been dwarfed by newer buildings, including the Salesforce Tower, which is now the tallest building in the city (54m1s).
• The Millennium Tower, located at 301 Mission Street, is a $550 million construction featuring lavish condominiums and amenities that attracted tech barons and venture capitalists, including former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana (54m19s).
• Jerry and Pat Dodson, who bought a two-bedroom apartment in the building for $2.1 million eight years ago, initially had no buyer's remorse, but later discovered that the building had a fundamental problem (54m45s).
• The building's basement features dozens of stress gauges that measure the slow growth of cracks along the columns, which has raised concerns about the building's foundation (55m20s).
• The cracks are one of the only visual clues that there's something profoundly wrong with the building, and Dodson, an engineer and lawyer, makes daily rounds of the basement to look for signs of deterioration (55m42s).
• In May 2016, the homeowners association called a meeting to inform residents that the building was sinking and tilting, and engineers for the tower's developer had been tracking the sinking since the foundation was poured in 2006 (56m3s).
• The data shows that the Millennium Tower has sunk 17 inches and tilted 14 inches to the northwest, and local politicians have seized on the story, compelling the engineers to explain why the building is experiencing these problems (56m30s).
• Aaron Peskin, a San Francisco City supervisor, is leading hearings into the issues with the Millennium Tower, a building that is sinking and tilting, and has subpoenaed engineers involved with the project to find out what is causing the trouble (56m51s).
• The Millennium Tower's problems have led to some homeowners, such as Andrew Faul and Frank Jernigan, to sell their apartments at a significant loss, with Faul and Jernigan losing around $3 to $4 million on the sale of their apartment (58m2s).
• Faul and Jernigan discovered the building's issues when they rolled a marble across their floor, which stopped and rolled back in the direction of the building's tilt, leading them to become severely frightened and eventually sell their apartment (58m9s).
• Peter Marinkovich, an engineer who works with the European Space Agency, has been tracking the building's movement using satellite signals and has found that it is sinking at a rate of around 1.5 to 2 inches per year (59m9s).
• Despite the city of San Francisco and its engineers asserting that the building is safe, even in the event of an earthquake, there are many differing opinions among engineers in the Bay Area about the trouble with the Millennium Tower (1h0m14s).
• Some engineers, such as Jerry Cimone, believe that some sinking is acceptable for buildings, but the Millennium Tower's issues are unprecedented, with the building sinking more than anticipated over its lifetime (1h0m34s).
• Millennium Partners, a high-end developer, built the Millennium Tower in San Francisco using concrete instead of steel, which is heavier and requires a stronger foundation and subsurface design to support its weight (1h1m7s).
• The tower's foundation was driven 80 feet deep into a layer of dense sand, but it was not anchored in bedrock, which is a problem for a big, heavy concrete building (1h1m32s).
• Geotechnical engineer Larry Karp explained that the ground beneath the tower consists of rubble from the 1906 earthquake, brick, sand, debris, and layers of landfill from the Gold Rush era, making it necessary to go 200 feet below the surface to reach solid rock or bedrock (1h1m50s).
• Karp stated that the tower's foundation should have been anchored in bedrock to prevent it from sinking into less sturdy layers of sand and mud, causing it to tilt (1h2m16s).
• The tower's tilt is not easily visible, but it can be seen from a distance, and it has been compared to the Leaning Tower of Pisa (1h2m39s).
• Millennium Partners declined an on-camera interview but pointed out that the tower was built to code, and they blame the construction of the nearby Transbay Terminal for the problems (1h3m5s).
• The Transbay Terminal declined an on-camera interview as well, but stated that the Millennium Tower had already sunk 10 inches before work began on their project (1h3m26s).
• There are 20 parties involved in various lawsuits related to the Millennium Tower, including lawyers for the developer, the Transbay Terminal, the structural engineers, the geotechnical engineers, the architect, the builder, the homeowners association, the city, and others (1h3m50s).
• City Supervisor Aaron Peskin stated that everyone is afraid to tell the truth about the situation because it might slow down the building boom in San Francisco, where time is money and construction is a priority (1h4m2s).
• Despite the controversy surrounding the Millennium Tower, the building boom in San Francisco continues, with new skyscrapers being built, and bedrock is becoming a must-have amenity for these new constructions (1h4m41s).
• The Millennium Tower has a significant issue, with a giant sales force referencing it on Twitter, and it is clear that the building has problems, as acknowledged by those familiar with its construction (1h4m48s).
• The city does not require all skyscrapers to have foundations that go to bedrock, but changes have been made to prevent another tower from leaning, including a review of foundations for new tall buildings (1h5m1s).
• Almost everyone agrees that the Millennium Tower needs to be fixed, but the solution is unclear, with proposed options including freezing the ground perpetually or removing 20 stories from the top to reduce its weight (1h5m13s).
• Another possible solution is to place the building on piles to rock bedrock, which may be the most feasible option, although it is a complex and challenging task (1h5m37s).
• The parties involved, including the city, Millennium, and the homeowners association, are in mediation to discuss how to drill down to bedrock under the existing skyscraper, which has a thousand people living upstairs (1h5m43s).
• A significant issue is who will pay for the necessary repairs, but it is hoped that a fix can be implemented in the near term, with the parties fighting about the money later (1h5m56s).

Peter Marino (1h6m40s)

• Peter Marino is a unique individual who defies expectations with his appearance, being a middle-aged man who dresses in biker gear with visible tattoos and sterling silver skull rings, yet is also fluent in French and advanced mathematics (1h6m42s).
• Marino is a serious player in the worlds of art, architecture, and high fashion, known for his work as a tastemaker for the rich and sophisticated (1h7m7s).
• Despite his intimidating appearance, Marino is an amusing, ironic, and highly accomplished artist and businessman with a sensitive soul (1h8m0s).
• People often make judgments about others based on their appearance, but Marino's look is a decoy, and he wants people to look beyond his exterior (1h8m33s).
• Marino is a licensed architect who must take 18 credits a year to keep his license up to date, and he still knows calculus and trigonometry (1h8m40s).
• The arts and fashion worlds have a high tolerance for eccentricity, and Marino's signature look has made him one of a handful of living architects recognized by the media (1h8m56s).
• Marino's friend suggests that he likes the shock value of his appearance, but Marino himself says he likes to think out of the box and come up with original design ideas (1h9m20s).
• Marino's work is regularly featured in architectural digest and other glossy magazines, and his firm occupies expensive office space in New York, furnished with museum-quality artwork from his private collection (1h9m53s).
• Marino's office features a diverse collection of artwork, including paintings, sculpture, modern art, and antiquities, all displayed in perfect harmony (1h10m11s).
• One of the pieces in Marino's collection is a 2003 Anselm Kiefer, and another is a 3rd-century Gandhara sculpture from the region where Chinese and Indian cultures met on the Silk Road (1h10m26s).
• Peter Marino is an architect who has a vast knowledge of Greek culture and art, which plays a central role in his universe, and he collects, curates, and commissions art for his projects, covering nearly every inch of wall space in his office to inspire his staff of 150 designers and architects (1h10m44s).
• Marino is the creative director of his firm and reviews every design, earning him a reputation as a control freak, but he denies being tyrannical, stating that he is passionate about the quality of work (1h11m13s).
• Marino's clients mostly come from the world's wealthiest 0.1%, including multi-billionaires such as David Geffen and David Koch, as well as celebrities like Jazelle Bunin and Tom Brady, but he maintains discretion and does not comment about his clients (1h11m43s).
• Marino has worked on various high-end projects, including a residential project in Los Angeles, a private home in Milan for Georgio Armani, a Hampton's beach house for a young hedge fund manager, and a ski chalet in Lebanon for a Swiss banker (1h11m51s).
• Marino has also worked on large-scale commercial projects, such as the Boon the Shop luxury shopping center in Seoul, South Korea, which was built for the family that controls Samsung (1h12m55s).
• Marino believes that his clients, regardless of their wealth or status, should be treated with the same respect and professionalism, and that being himself is the key to successful partnerships (1h13m53s).
• Marino has collaborated with Sydney Toledano, the CEO of Christian Dior, on dozens of Dior boutiques around the world, and Toledano praises Marino's professionalism and ability to find solutions (1h14m1s).
• Marino's work is seen as an artistic presentation of his personality, and he is considered key to the success of his clients' businesses, including Christian Dior and Chanel (1h14m37s).
• Peter Marino is the architect of choice for top fashion designers and luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Bulgari, and Fendi, and is credited with reimagining the use of retail space by moving away from boxy department stores and into elegant boutiques (1h14m50s).
• Marino's work ethic and personality are rooted in Queens, New York, where he was born 67 years ago to a middle-class Italian family, and he excelled in art in high school before graduating from Cornell University in 1971 with a degree in architecture (1h16m2s).
• Marino learned the trade from the best, serving an apprenticeship with I.M. Pei at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and picked up the ways of the wealthy and the value of celebrity from Andy Warhol, for whom he did some early work and hung out at his New York studio, The Factory (1h16m19s).
• Marino's unique approach to retail space is evident in each of his designs, which distill the essence and look of the company it was built for, such as the Timeless classic look for Louis Vuitton and the elegant boutique for Chanel (1h15m32s).
• Marino's success can be attributed to his extensive experience, with clients preferring to work with someone who has done 300 successful operations rather than just two, as he puts it (1h15m50s).
• Marino is married to Jane Trapnell, a charming and accomplished costume designer, and they have been married for 33 years, with friends describing their relationship as a good marriage where each partner allows the other to be themselves (1h18m13s).
• Marino's estate hosts a lavish party every summer to introduce young and up-and-coming classical musicians, showcasing his love of beauty, art, and music (1h18m0s).
• Despite his success, Marino's friends, including Bob Colacello, the editor of Warhol's Interview magazine, and Isabel Ratti, a former model, think he has changed very little from his early days at The Factory, and that he is still very tongue-in-cheek and enjoys having fun at other people's expense (1h17m2s).
• Marino has a collection of motorcycles, with his latest one, a Superdog KTM 1290, prominently displayed on the project board, which is very fast (1h19m6s).
• Marino's wife, Jane, does not ride on the back of his motorcycle; instead, she travels in a car with a driver and their two dogs (1h19m17s).
• Marino finds cars claustrophobic and prefers riding motorcycles, owning around half a dozen bikes that he has ridden all over the country (1h19m25s).
• Marino regularly commutes between New York and his home on Long Island using his motorcycles, which serves as his release and a core part of his identity (1h19m30s).
• Marino enjoys the freedom of riding alone on the road, taking in the air, light, and space, which is part of his approach to living life outside the box (1h19m40s).