BUILDERS HATE CHANGE.
BUILDERS HATE CHANGE. IT PRODUCES
IT PRODUCES RISK, BACKBOARD,
SAFETY ISSUES FOR US.
CHANGE IS NOT GOOD IN OUR
BUSINESS BUT A HAPPENS AND YOU
HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
>> FIVE, EACH.
REPORTER: TYPE 5 MILLION SQUARE
FEET OF OFFICE SPACE BUT IT
WASN’T ENOUGH.
NOW LIEUTENANT GENERAL MARK.
>> ’S BIGGEST SOMERVILLE PLATE
THE BUILDING, IT’S NOT GOING TO
BE BIG ENOUGH HE SAID MAYBE WE
SHOULD PUT ON THE FIFTH FLOOR.
THEY ALREADY HAD 40% OF THE ROOF
UP AT THIS TIME.
♪
>> NO TIME TO STOP YOU, JUST
BUILT FOR FOUR OVER THE TOP OF
IT.
♪
THE FIFTH FORK WAS BUILT, HE
DIDN’T INFORM CONGRESS BEFORE
HAND.
HE JUST DID IT.
WHEN DEPARTMENT RELEASED THE
PLAN, IT WAS CALLED THE FOURTH
FLOOR INTERMEDIATE.
>> EVEN WITH LAST-MINUTE CHANGE,
HIS CREWS COMPLETED THE ENTIRE
PROJECT IN JUST 16 MONTHS. IN JANUARY, 1943 ROOSEVELT
IN JANUARY, 1943 ROOSEVELT
TRAVELED TO CASABLANCA TO
FIVE CONCENTRIC FIVE SIDED
BUILDINGS INSIDE EACH OTHER TO
SOMERVILLE, FIGHT EACH HAD FIVE
FLOORS AND EPICENTER, A FIVE
SIDED COURTYARD OF COURSE.
>> THE PENTAGON WAS AT THE TIME
IT REMAINS TODAY THE LARGEST
LOWRISE OFFICE BUILDING IN OVER
6.3 MILLION SQUARE FEET
GROUNDBREAKING ON COMPLETION
THANK, 60 MONTHS, THAT’S UNHEARD
OF AN ANSWER TODAY.
>> THE PENTAGON FOR SPACE IS
THREE TIMES MORE THAN THE EMPIRE
STATE BUILDING A DECADE BEFORE.
>> TWICE ABOUT SOUND LIKE ENOUGH
BUT BY THE TIME SOMERVILLE WAS
DONE FROM ITS THREE TIMES THE
SIZE OF THE EMPIRE STATE.
>> YOU WALK UP TO THE BUILDING
AND YOUR ENTIRE VIEW LEFT TO
RIGHT.
>> PART OF THE GENIUS OF THE
DESIGN EFFICIENCY STARTING FROM
THE OUTERMOST EVENING MOVING
INWARD A RING, THESE CORRIDORS
MADE THE PENTAGON FAMOUSLY
EASIER TO GET AROUND.
SOMEONE WALKING AT A BRISK
MILITARY PACE BETWEEN ANY TWO
POINTS AND SEVEN AND A HALF
MINUTES GIVE OR TAKE.
>> I’VE TESTED THE HYPOTHESIS
AND YOU CAN GET FROM ONE SIDE TO
THE OTHER IN JUST UNDER TEN
MINUTES IF YOU WANT LIEUTENANT
SOMERVILLE WHO OVERSAW
CONSTRUCTION PROMOTED MIKE
GENERAL IN 1945 BY VIRTUE OF THE
COLORFUL LANGUAGE DYNAMIC
PERSONALITY, SOMERVILLE IS SEEN
AS A KEY FIGURE IN THIS ENORMOUS
FOREVER.
>> THE COLONEL BEHIND THE
PENTAGON SWIFT COMPLETION CAPS
TO LEAD EVEN MORE URGENT
MANHATTAN PROJECT TO BUILD THE
ATOMIC BOMB.
FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, THE
PENTAGON WAS THE HUB OF GLOBAL
MILITARY OPERATIONS WHEN THE WAR
ENDED, MOST ASSUMED U.S.
MILITARY DRASTICALLY DOWNSCALE
THE PENTAGON WAS DESTINED FOR
CIVILIAN FUTURE.
>> WAS ABOUT THE ARCHIVES,
PEOPLE SUGGESTED -- PEOPLE BEGAN
ASKING AGAIN THE QUESTION ASKED
BEFORE THE WAR WHAT THE WORLD
ARE GOING TO DO WITH THIS
PENTAGON BUILDING NOW THAT THE
WAR IS OVER?
>> 1947, IT BECAME CLEAR THE
RUSSIAN BEAR WAS NOT AN ALLY BUT
A THREAT JUST LIKE THAT, QUOTE
WORK WAS A PROMISE.
FDR VERY TRUMAN GREETED THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE THE STROKE
OF A PEN, PENTAGON PERMANENT AND
VERTICAL PURPOSE IT BECAME
QUICKLY FEESIMPLE FOR AMERICAN
MIGHT STILL IS TODAY THE
PENTAGON FOR PRESENT TRINITY OF
BUILDING INSTITUTION, A SYMBOL,
FL THINK THAT’S A TRUE
ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS OF THE
MODERN WORLD.
IT’S ASSEMBLED TO THIS NATION
AND OTHERS AMERICAN POWER AND