Famous sites you had no idea were designed and built by women
The LEGO Group has launched a new campaign, She Built That to inspire society and girls to see themselves as inspiring builders, creators and innovators. A new rendition of Run DMC It's Like That hit brings together stars from Gen Z and Gen Alpha, showing how girls are shaping the world around them.
The LEGO Group adorned famous London landmarks with Brick Plaques celebrating the women that created them.
The She Built That campaign comes as stats show parents are five times more likely to associate the term 'building' with 'masculinity' (59%) over 'femininity' (10%).
Paying homage to the unsung builders of the world, the plaques appear at multiple iconic sites:
London landmark
Unsung builder(s)
Waterloo Bridge
Also known as 'The Ladies Bridge' - built by an estimated workforce of 65% women
London Aquatics Centre
Co-designed by Zaha Hadid
The London Eye
Co-designed by Julia Barfield
The Supreme Court
The refurbishment was co-designed by Elsie Owusu
Beyond the iconic female-built structures that were commemorated, other notable buildings in the UK include The Shard, of which Roma Agrawal was the Structural Engineer, The Lyric Theatre in Belfast, of which Sheila O'Donnell was an instrumental architect, and The Wales Institute for Sustainable Education (WISE) in Machynlleth, Wales, of which Linda Stevens was the Project Architect.
Roma Agrawal, Structural Engineer of Crystal Palace Station and diversity campaigner for women in engineering, said: 'We might not realise it, but young girls are building all the time, even when we think they're not! Whether it's through the development of physical motor skills or creating new games in their head – all these moments aid in growing their building capabilities. As a society, it's crucial that we work together to ensure that girls continue developing this skillset into their adult lives.
'LEGO play was an integral part of my childhood and provided a great foundation for the learning that led to my career. That's why I'm delighted that the LEGO Group is shining the light on the girls that kept building into their womanhood.'
Kuran Sharma, Head of Marketing for the UK & Ireland at the LEGO Group, said: 'Our mission to change stereotypes around building starts with showing everyone how women are already shaping the world around them in incredible ways. We hope girls and women will see our Brick Plaques and listen to our new anthem, and be empowered to 'build' in whatever way feels good to them.'
Joseph 'Rev Run' Simmons and Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels said: 'Run DMC has always stood for breaking barriers and inspiring change. We're excited to see our classic anthem reimagined as 'She Built That', celebrating the creativity and innovation of girls everywhere. Just as we pushed the limits of hip-hop, we want to inspire a world where every girl recognizes her building power.'
The LEGO Group is hosting an immersive pop-up at London's Southbank Centre this aummer. Young girls will be able to take part in a She Built That two-day event, filled with dancing, music, and building. Special brick plaques and prizes will also be awarded to young builders at the event to recognise the next generation of female builders.
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The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Majority of Gen Zs find gigs overpriced… but make big cutbacks so they don't miss out, survey finds
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Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I'm 27 with £120k in savings – but I don't work 9-5 and I'll even retire at 40… anyone can do it
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But rather than dreaming of sitting on the beach or enjoying a round of golf, many younger people like Maria see soft retiring as a flexible lifestyle shift – not a full stop. They want to be their own bosses and do fewer hours, work remotely and use side hustles to give them financial freedom. Psychic's path to manifesting money and getting rich | Talking Money For Maria this means being a landlord, running a fashion business and working in hospitality, consultancy and content creation. Side hustle empire Maria started to build up her side hustle empire while she was in school and still lived with her parents. Advertisement "I don't come from a rich family," she said. "When I was 17, I started working on Saturdays doing admin tasks. I tried to save 60% of my wages." When she turned 18, her gran also gave her £2,000, which, when added to her Saturday job and holiday work, brought her savings up to £7,000. 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Advertisement 6 Maria worked as a model during university to increase her income and savings 6 While she was studying Maria also designed clothes for her boutique XX-Attire 6 By the time she turns 40 Maria hopes she will be able to reduce her workload Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Metro
12 hours ago
- Metro
Forget the Gen Z stare, I'm worried about Gen Alpha's rudeness
It was the start of the sunny summer holidays, and I was excited to take my seven-year-old son, Felix, to a free activity day at a football club . The association had kindly treated local children to a day of fitness classes, lunch and a tour of the stadium. 'What's not to love?', I thought to myself as we walked in. Felix had woken up that morning ecstatic, and when walking in, he immediately began excitedly chattering to children close by. It was contagious; walking through the stadium I was impressed, myself. But what I saw next floored me. Though many of the children were elated to be running around, whooping and screaming, a few seemed to be simply going through the motions. Then, several hours later, a group of parents and children traipsed in mid-class, incredibly late. Without saying a word, they slumped in chairs looking stony-faced. There was no 'hello' or 'sorry'; not even any explanations for their tardiness. I was puzzled – why didn't anyone seem to appreciate what a nice opportunity this was? Some of these kids seemed like they didn't know the basics when staff were talking to them, no smile, nod or even a yes or no. It looked rude, as though they couldn't be bothered to engage, even with all the flurry of fun going on; and the blank stares on the children's faces were unnerving. In the past couple of weeks, the Gen Z stare has gone viral. The basis is that Gen Z'ers give vacant looks to peers and older people, particularly in social settings. This dissociation could occur in class, at work, eating out and even around other family members. Gen Z'ers put it down to screens, the pandemic and that they feel they don't owe anybody a conversation, particularly if they say something they disagree with. I think the Gen Z stare is sad, but I'm more worried about the 'Gen Alpha stare' (the generation immediately after Gen Z) – which is often coupled with rudeness, like not saying 'thank you' or 'sorry' when needed – and what it's doing to our communication with, and between, our kids. At a recent event at a museum, Felix, tried to converse with a boy of similar age who was sitting beside him. They had to draw pictures of their favourite patterns that they had seen around the museum, but anything my son said to his young neighbour was met by the dreaded blank stare. At the beach this summer, one of the most exhilarating places for a child, I noticed a couple of kids hunched over their parents' iPhones, preferring the online world to the beauty of the seaside around them. At the football club event, I hoped the children were perhaps shy – but on the lunch break, I held the door open for a parent and a seven-year-old, and I was shocked when they didn't even look up or say thank you. Instead, they shuffled through without a second glance, not even speaking to each other. Of course, many little ones were isolated during the pandemic. One survey found that 47% of parents said their child's social and emotional skills became worse during the first year of Covid. But can it all be blamed on the pandemic? As many as 76% of five to seven-year-olds now use a tablet, while 20% of three to four-year-olds own a smartphone. This, surely, must be impacting their communication skills. But it's not just the children themselves. The average adult spends three hours and 21 minutes a day on their smartphone, and Princess Kate backed a study encouraging parents to interact with their children more than their screens. The very fact that this study was necessary speaks for itself. The study says that children seeing their parents buried in a phone can harm their communication skills. They recommend fully engaged eye-to-eye contact, which they cite as helping children to focus their thoughts and nurture future relationships. Safe to say, adults have their part to play – which is why I always make sure I do not scroll continuously in front of my son. I always make an effort to chat with locals and neighbours when I'm out with Felix, even if it's sometimes met with suspicion and aloofness. I also don't allow unfettered screentime for my son, and let him watch safe TV programmes and documentaries, instead of the mindless gunk on YouTube. But it's not just about phones. I grew up in the countryside where everyone chatted with their neighbours, helped each other out and loved a good old chinwag by the garden fence. And, although I live in central London now, I try to adopt the same process. I always make an effort to chat with locals and neighbours when I'm out with Felix, even if it's sometimes met with suspicion and aloofness. But we have also made some wonderful friends this way. I think building relationships over a long period also hones trust, making him feel secure and positive within his community. I'll also ask Felix to request things from the waiter if we're out. I want to teach him not to be scared of others or to ask questions. It's good for children to know they can be outspoken and ask others what they need. I fear that without these basic human interactions, our children will become a world of lonely grown-ups. We've all got our part to play if we want to prevent this depressing future for our young people. More Trending While the pandemic and iPads have played a significant role, we now need to look to each other to help children communicate confidently and effectively. It's time for parents to tackle senseless, stony-faced staring, engaging their little ones as much as possible with free play and creativity. I also think there's nothing wrong with calling them out when they disengage – or we risk raising a generation of socially and emotionally lost ones. After all, it costs nothing to be polite! Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: I just wanted my smear test when the nurse touched my hair MORE: My husband asked for a divorce – I was devastated but proud of him MORE: Every day, I feel extremely grateful that I am trans Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
