Ideal Half-term Activity! Calling All Budding Young Designers! Tower Bridge Launches ‘Design a Bridge’ Competition for Kids

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Published on Wednesday, 22 January 2014 14:01

Last Updated on 22 January 2014

Monica Costa

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This national competition seems a very cool idea to get kids engaged in creative activities during half term. My son is already very excited to have the opportunity to show off his engineering skills at work 🙂
To celebrate its 120th birthday this year, Tower Bridge, the most famous bridge in the world, is delighted to announce the launch of an exciting new national competition for 6 to 14 year olds, offering them the opportunity to design the second most famous bridge in the world! Check the entry details here.

From 7th February to 14th March 2014, young artists, designers and engineers are being invited to draw their very own version of the iconic bridge, one of London’s best loved historical landmarks – and the overall winner will see their masterpiece transformed into an amazing ‘real-life’ 3D model for public display in the Tower Bridge Exhibition, seen by 2,000 daily visitors! First though, make sure you come and visit the Exhibition over the February half-term – the ‘Great Bridges of the World’ display will leave kids inspired….

The entries will be judged by an independent panel, which includes Isabel Wolfe Barry, great, great granddaughter of the bridge’s original civil engineer, Sir John Wolfe Barry!

Isabel Wolfe Barry comments:

“1885, with Royal Assent, heralded the dawn of the new river crossing, gateway to the South, an iconic symbol of London revered throughout the world, a legendary feat of engineering comprising a combined bascule and suspension bridge devised and constructed by my great, great grandfather in conjunction with the design submitted by the architect, Sir Horace Jones.

The competition for the new bridge began in 1876 and these brains won it. Some doubted it could be done. I’m incredibly humbled by these individuals and their awe-inspiring vision. It is an honour to be invited to be a judge on the panel for this competition, more than 120 years later, in celebration and as a mark of respect for the talent that precedes us. My advice to the excited, young brains participating now – be inspired, be innovated and don’t you dare let anyone tell you it cannot be done!”

How to Enter

Entering the competition is easy. Entry forms and full terms & conditions can be downloaded from the Tower Bridge website
from 7th February 2014 or just come along to Tower Bridge and pick up an entry form.

Artists’ tools can include anything from crayons and felt-tip pens, to paint, pasta shapes, textiles, even a computer – and all designs must be shown on an A4, flat piece of paper (2D). Entries are split into three different age groups, meaning that more than one child from each household can apply.

Rules and prize information

· The competition opens on 7th February and the closing date for entries is 14th March 2014.

· Three age categories are available: category 1 is for entrants aged 6-8, category 2 is for ages
9-11 and category 3 is for ages 12-14.

· All designs must be shown in 2D, on an A4 flat piece of paper, meaning that photos must be uploaded and A3 drawings must be presented on A4.

· Entries can be dropped off at Tower Bridge, posted to Design a Bridge Competition, Tower Bridge Exhibition, Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 2UP, or emailed to us at competitions@towerbridge.org.uk.

· One ultimate winner will be chosen from the best entry in each category.

· The overall winning entry will be selected by an independent judging panel and the
prize-winning design will be transformed into a 3D scaled model and put on display within the Tower Bridge Exhibition until 31st July 2014. The winner will be able to keep their 3D model once it has been on public display.

A bit of historical information on Tower Bridge:

Tower Bridge was the creation of architect Sir Horace Jones and civil engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry. It took eight years to complete and was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by the Prince and Princess of Wales (the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra).

Tower Bridge Exhibition is open every day from 10.00am to 6.00pm (April-Sept) and 9.30am to 5.30pm (Oct-March) with last admission half an hour before closing.

Images credit: Copyright Tower Bridge