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Building the impossible: Golden Gate Bridge - Alex Gendler

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TEDEd Animation

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Stretching 227 meters tall, two towers were assembled to support California’s Golden Gate Bridge. They were just one of the challenges facing engineers Charles Ellis and Joseph Strauss. Even before construction began, many thought the project impossible: the strait was home to powerful winds, constant fog, and earthquakes. So how was this iconic bridge created? Alex Gendler details the feat.

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Additional Resources for you to Explore

Take a deeper dive into the design and structural elements of the bridge, or check out these documentaries on its construction. The official Golden Gate Bridge site has a wealth of resources and primary sources, while NPR has an interview about the bridge’s iconic color. You can also read about the structural design and history of suspension bridges.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Alex Gendler
  • Director Anton Bogaty
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Music Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio
  • Sound Designer Nirana Singh, cAMP Studio
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editor Dan Kwartler
  • Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam

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