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Iconic buildings women have worked on

Words Barbara Akinkunmi

Across the UK and the world, women are working skilfully behind the scenes on various building and infrastructure projects. We’re not always exposed to the faces behind the management, design development and construction of a project, hence why many young women remain uninspired. Inspiration comes from exposure, so here’s my list of current and historic iconic projects within the Industry that women have worked on:

The Shard – Roma Agrawal

The Shard is the tallest building in the UK and the 5th tallest structure in the whole of Europe. Roma Angrawal, a Senior Structural Engineer, worked on the project as a graduate engineer only 1 year after finishing her degree. She spent 4 years on the engineering design of the tower, where she created the foundations at the base of the building. Aside from The Shard, Roma has worked on various other projects, such as 261 City Road, the Crystal Palace Station enhancement and Northumbria University Footbridge. She has also been recognised within the industry and won various awards, such as the Young Structural Engineer of the Year Award in 2011.

NYC Trump Tower – Barbara Res

The Trump Tower has been an iconic building within the New York City skyline for over 30 years. Barbara Res, an engineer, started her career in construction in 1972. She worked for electrical contractors, a general contractor and then developers - most notably Donald Trump.

The construction of the tower started when Barbara was appointed as Senior Vice President in charge, and so she became the first woman to oversee a major construction site in New York! Barbara has become a Woman in Construction keynote speaker and an inspirational leader for women working in the male-dominated construction industry. Alongside engineering, Barbara is also an attorney and author.

The Heydar Aliyev Centre – Zaha Hadid 

Zaha Hadid was a well-known and established architect, who influenced the industry through her bold designs. During her career, she became an inspiration of confidence to many other women and proved to excel skilfully within the male-dominated industry. Her buildings are distinct, incorporating authenticity, creativity and uniqueness. One of her long-lasting projects is the Heydar Aliyev Centre, which contains exhibition spaces, a library, a museum and concert venues.

The design establishes a continuous, fluid relationship between its surrounding plaza and the building’s interior. Some of her other award-winning works include the Vitra Fire Station in Germany, the London Aquatics Centre, the National Centre for Contemporary Arts in Rome, Evelyn Grace Academy in London and the Guangzhou Opera House in China.

The London Eye – Julia Barfield

Julia Barfield is the architect behind the London Eye. She’s a British architect and director of Marks Barfield Architects. Julia was interested in vernacular architecture, geometry and the way nature “designs and organizes itself so efficiently”.

The London Eye has put architecture, design and engineering centre stage by catching the imagination of the British public and of visitors to London. Julia remains involved in diverse projects within architecture, including the areas of culture, education, transportation, sports, leisure, and master planning. She’s also a passionate activist and advocate for social causes, appearing on the news to discuss climate change issues.

Aqua Tower – Jeanne Gang

Jeanne Gang is an American architect who creates places that connect people with each other, their communities and the environment. Jeanne’s design process emphasizes research, experimentation and collaboration inside and outside of traditional design fields. The Aqua Tower is currently the world’s tallest building designed by a woman! Though Aqua Tower is not Jeanne’s first project, it is undoubtedly the one that put her on the architectural radar. Her inquisitive and forward-looking approach has distinguished her as a leading architect of her generation.

Library of Birmingham - Francine Houben

The Library of Birmingham sits in the heart of Birmingham and is designed with every detail considered. Francine, the architect behind the building, is known for wide-ranging architecture projects such as universities, libraries, theatres, residential areas, museums and hotels. Her dream for the Library of Birmingham was to create a People’s Palace that welcomes and inspires all ages and backgrounds - a real public building!

She designed the exterior of the building to reference the city's jewellery quarter, adding a filigree pattern of metal rings over golden, silver and glass facades. Highlights of the new building include a studio theatre that seats 300 people, a performance area and children’s’ spaces, two outdoor garden terraces, an outdoor amphitheatre in Centenary Square and a panoramic viewing gallery.

The Brooklyn Bridge – Emily Roebling

Emily was an engineer known for her contribution to the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge after her husband fell ill. It was very unusual for a woman to accompany a man to a construction site in the late 19th century. However, Emily stepped in on behalf of her Husband to manage, consult and liaise with city officials and workers. She was successfully able to see the world’s first steel-wire suspension bridge to completion!

The Eiffel Tower – Sophie Germain

Sophie was a French mathematician and an integral part of the design development of the Eiffel Tower. Her skills and expertise were not only important to the field of mathematics but were vital in the construction of the Eiffel Tower, even though her name was not inscribed on the tower along with the other engineers and mathematicians on the project.

Waterloo Bridge – A Collective of 350 Women

Waterloo Bridge was built during World War II and is known as "the ladies’ bridge" due to the significant number of women who worked on its construction. The bridge’s creation began in 1934. However, when the war broke out in 1939, the number of men working on the bridge dropped from 500 to 50.

This is when the ladies stepped in. It wasn’t until 2015 that the work of around 350 females working on the construction site of the bridge was confirmed through a series of photographs. In 1944, over 25,000 women were working in construction without getting needed recognition. A blue plaque can now be found on the bridge in memory of those women who worked in stone, steel, timber and concrete - not only on the construction of the bridge but all construction sites.