If you go down to Avenue Des Gobelins today, you’re in for a big surprise. This quiet, unassuming neighbourhood is now home to more than fifty giant teddy bears. And it all seems strangely normal. Nobody bats an eye as they kick back with a café au lait among their fellow Parisians. From the city that gave us Amelie, the giant teddy bears are just one of the surprising reasons, that for me, Paris never disappoints.
Selling a record-breaking £75 billion bricks in 2016, Lego is officially the world’s most popular brand. Such is its popularity that Lego mini figures now outnumber humans on the planet. Staggered by its enduring appeal, I went to visit the Lego Headquarters to find out how this plastic fantastic trend translates into their workplace design. As cool office spaces go – this one was a brick too far.
Looking down on the spiral staircase at the London Lego HQ
Deviating from my usual route to work this week, I decided to venture out of the Square Mile to the hipster enclave of Shoreditch. Better known for its beards and skinny jeans, it’s also home to an explosive graffiti art scene where skulls, starfish and eagles scream out from derelict buildings.
Graffiti art on Sclater Street in Shoreditch, London
In 2017, we’re starting a new series of photo posts on the surprising sights that we pass every day on our way to work. From amazing architecture to hidden garden squares, there’s a wider world to discover if you take a closer look around you.
The Tower of St Alban, City of London