For more than a century, Chicago has been a proving ground for ideas that have transformed skylines around the world. “Skyscrapers,” an episode of WTTW’s Chicago Stories series, explores this history through the architects, engineers, and ambitions behind the city’s most recognizable towers.

From early experiments in tall building construction to breakthroughs that made new heights possible, the documentary traces how successive generations built on one another’s innovations. Together, these stories reveal Chicago’s enduring influence on the design and engineering of skyscrapers worldwide.

Featuring an interview with structural engineer Bill Baker, filmed in SOM’s Chicago studio, the episode explores the firm’s contributions to this legacy—from Bruce Graham and Fazlur Khan’s pioneering structural designs for 875 North Michigan Avenue and Willis Tower to a subsequent generation of landmarks, including NBC Tower and 401 North Wabash Avenue. The story extends to Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, whose architecture and structural engineering were developed in SOM’s Chicago studio, carrying the city’s tradition of innovation to the world’s tallest building.