If you were asked to guess Chen Lei's profession, engineering might not be the first career that springs to mind after a glance at the slim, soft-spoken 38-year-old woman. But she is more: she was the chief engineer for the construction of the National Aquatics Centre, better known as the 'Water Cube'.
And one year after the translucent blue venue hosted the swimming competitions at the Beijing Olympics, it is still winning as many admirers as the 'Bird's Nest' stadium nearby, with its striking steel-mesh exterior.
Sitting in the venue, which still attracts tens of thousands of visitors from throughout the mainland every day, Ms Chen said she was still proud of what she and her teams had done 'to leave a masterpiece in this city that will endure the test of time'.
'It's become a scenic spot in Beijing and an Olympic icon, you see,' she said, pointing to people taking pictures in the centre. 'Compared with other venues, I still think it's a wonderful venue, with that compelling bubble-like look and many advanced technical elements.'
After a long rest, she came back to the 'Water Cube' to oversee its transformation into a multipurpose leisure centre, featuring a water park and a recreation centre with spas, and a shopping area.
It was another milestone in her trailblazing career. She was appointed chief engineer by the China Construction First Building Group in 2004 when she was only 33 and, either because of her young age or her gender, sceptics raised doubts over her abilities in the male-dominated construction industry.
The only way to win them over, Ms Chen said, was to rely on her belief in perfectionism, her 'firm will' and to 'work quietly and persistently'.
