World’s longest LEGO bridge unveiled at QNL

Young people from across Qatar have completed the world’s longest bridge built from LEGO bricks at Qatar National Library (QNL). The 33 metre-long suspension bridge is built from more than 260,000 LEGO bricks.

The bridge is part of the 2018 Qatar-British Festival and it signifies cultural ties between the two countries.

The last brick on the structure was placed by Dr Sohair Wastawy, Executive Director of QNL during a ceremony, yesterday.

Sam Ayton, Director of the British Council, Qatar, Dr Waseem Kotoub, Director of the Qatar British Festival and representatives from the British Embassy in Qatar were also present at the event.

The bridge is the longest such structure in the world and was designed by Dr Robin Sham, a fellow at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

Entitled ‘Qatar’s Little Builders: Bridging Communities,’ the exhibit is intended to ignite a passion for engineering, mathematics and architecture in the Library’s young visitors.

“During the Qatar British Festival we are connecting people of both countries.”

“Building this record-setting structure also highlights importance of engineering, mathematics and architecture. It was encouraging to see hundreds of children participating in building the bridge,” Dr Kotoub told The Peninsula.

“We did run a bridge building competition, in which children built their little bridges. The longest three meter bridge was built by a eight year old child,” he added.

The bridge was half-built when it opens on November 28. Over the following days, visitors to the QNL assembled the bridge, with engineers providing the necessary instruction. Experts from the Bright Bricks and ICE also held workshops for students visiting the QNL on school tours.

It is a replica of the bridge was created in 2016 by Bright Bricks, a UK-based builder of large-scale LEGO structures, and LEGO Certified Professionals, along with AECOM engineers and volunteers. It highlights how bridges have transformed lives and brought communities together.

The fantastic structure weighs three quarters of a tonne and first displayed in London. It holds the Guinness World Record for the longest LEGO brick bridge.

The bridge at the QNL will be displayed at the Library until January 6 2019.

By Fazeena Saleem I The Peninsula

شارك جمهور مكتبة قطر الوطنية من الرواد والزائرين والأعضاء، في بناء أطول جسر في العالم من قطع ومكعبات الليجو يبلغ طوله 33 متراً، وذلك ضمن فعاليات المهرجان البريطاني في قطر 2018، وبالتعاون بين المكتبة والمجلس الثقافي البريطاني والسفارة البريطانية في قطر.

وقد اكتمل تشييد الجسر، أمس، حينما قامت الدكتورة سهير وسطاوي، المدير التنفيذي لمكتبة قطر الوطنية، بوضع قطعة الليجو الأخيرة في حضور السيدة سام آيتون، مدير المجلس الثقافي البريطاني في قطر، والدكتور وسيم قطب، مدير المهرجان البريطاني في قطر، وممثلين من السفارة البريطانية في قطر.

جدير بالذكر أن هذه النسخة من الجسر المعلّق بمكتبة قطر الوطنية تحاكي النسخة الأصلية التي صمّمها الدكتور روبن شام، زميل معهد الهندسة المدنية، وتم تشييدها عام 2016 بالمملكة المتحدة من قبل شركة «برايت بريكس»، ومجموعة «محترفو ليجو المعتمدين»، بالتعاون مع مهندسين ومتطوعين من شركة «آيكوم» الهندسية. وسيستمر عرض الجسر في المكتبة حتى 6 يناير المقبل.;