How Catalonia’s Giant Nine-Story Human Towers Stay Upright

BBC Earth Science examined the traditional Catalan sport of castells, nine-story human towers, by focusing on how participants use geometric principles to distribute weight and ensure stability. This includes carefully positioning their bodies in unique ways to manage the intense physical forces involved in building these complex, towering human structures.

How do hundreds of people build a nine-story tower without collapsing under tons of downward force? Discover the physics behind how Catalonia’s remarkable human towers defy gravity.

UNESCO added human towers to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. This clip comes from Forces of Nature, the 2016 BBC One series presented by physicist Brian Cox.

The Tradition of Castells

Castells, Creating Human Towers In Tarragona, Spain
Inside the Incredible Human Towers of Catalonia
Lori Dorn

Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

Recent Posts