WATCH NOW: First look at the FRK Documentary in progress
We are excited to release our first teaser today! Get a first look at our ambitious documentary project currently in production about the life and legacy of engineer and architect Dr. Fazlur Rahman Khan. Known as the ‘father of modern skyscrapers’ and ‘Einstein of structural engineering,’ Dr. Khan designed the iconic Sears Tower (now Willis Tower), which at the time was the tallest building in the world. Its bundled tube structure was a feat of engineering and a variation of the tubular frame that he pioneered in his prior designs, including the elegant braced tube structure of the John Hancock Center in Chicago.
After nearly five years of research on Dr. Khan’s life and work, director and producer Laila Kazmi began production on the documentary in 2021. “Growing up in Chicago, I first learned about Fazlur Rahman Khan while visiting the Sears Tower with my family,” said Kazmi. “After having been a television producer for many years, I began to wonder about Dr Khan’s story. As I dug deeper, I was amazed by the impact of his innovations and the legacy that he left behind. I became convinced that his was a story that needed to be shared beyond the pages of architecture and engineering books.” Read the full Director’s statement
Last year, Kazmi put a team together and began working on the documentary. Said New York based award-winning Art Director Begoña Lopez: “Learning more about Fazlur Rahman Khan and his work and creating the graphics for it is a beautiful challenge. A very rich subject and a talented director motivated me to join the project.” Read five questions for Art Director Bagoña Lopez
Arnila Guha Nolok is the Associate Producer for the film. “As a Bangladeshi storyteller, I am especially excited to be a part of this project and help bring Dr Fazlur Rahman Khan’s story to a global audience,” said Guha. “I am grateful for innovators like Dr Khan, whose stories can inspire new generations of thinkers and achievers.” Read more from Arnila Guha
Dr. Khan’s story is an essentially American story of an immigrant. Fazlur Khan grew up in what’s now Bangladesh. He came to the United States in 1952 to study engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Prior to leaving Dhaka, he had never seen anything close to the tall buildings that he would later pioneer.
In 1982, while at the peak of his career, Dr. Khan died unexpectedly from a heart attack at the age of 52.
This is the untold story of pioneering technical achievements by a man who was curious about the world and loved people, music, and poetry as much as he loved science and engineering.
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS is the first feature-length documentary on the legacy of Fazlur Rahman Khan. Read About the Documentary
