The Sony World Photography Awards has announced the winners of the architectural category of their 2017 Open Category awards program. Taking home the top prize was Tim Cornbill of the United Kingdom, for “Oculus,” his capture of a geometric concrete facade found along the River Spree in Berlin.
“As an architect, I’m passionate about capturing buildings, and I’m always on the lookout for photogenic designs. I was really struck by the sheer scale of this façade and the visual impact of the circle, which I hope I’ve been able to convey in this everyday street scene,” ,” said Cornbill of his winning image. “I am truly thrilled to have been recognised in the world’s largest photography competition and it will be amazing to see the photo exhibited in London.”
Available to enter for any photographer, the Open competition received more than 105,000 entries across ten categories ranging from wildlife to street photography. Check out all the shortlisted images for the architecture category after the break.
Winner: Oculus / Tim Cornbill, UK
Image Description: Having just arrived in Berlin on a bright summer's day, my wife and I decided to take a morning walk along the River Spree. We soon came across a large concrete building, and I was immediately struck by its geometry and scale. Across the river, I positioned myself for a single point perspective and waited for the right moment to capture it. A couple came into the viewfinder and I noticed the cyclist out of the corner of my eye. I waited for them to move into the frame and hit the shutter to try and balance the composition.
Shortlisted
Phoenix / Barry Tweed-Rycroft, UK
Image Description: While wandering around in downtown Phoenix, Arizona on the 27th January 2016 I captured this image in a pool of water (Puddle). It was early morning and the stillness and strong reflection of the classic building in the pool along with the warm sunlight caught my eye. the shot is handheld.
Lights Arches / Claudio Cantonetti, Italy
Image Description: I've got this image of Square Coloseum building in Eur district in Rome just after sunset at end of march. A cold and windy evening with the lights of arches that brights in the night. the very difficult task has been to compose carefully and avoid the crowded traffic in the zone
Multiexpo-london / Frank Machalowski, Germany
Image Description: This is a image from my long-term project 'multiexpo.' In this series I show analog multiple exposures of european cities’ sightseeing hotspots photographed from several positions on one frame. The buildings, structures and sculptures are taken from different perspectives, as well as the different visitors they look. The multiplication and intensification of positions and fields of view appears to distort the structures and reduce them to their core. They literally vibrate under the attempt to capture the time even in the pictures. This image was taken in London at the Olympic Park in October 2016.
Dimensions / Franklin Neto, Portugal
Image Description: "Dimensions" is the most intimate representation of the Fatima Sanctuary, inserted within the architectural body, frequented by missionaries, priests and nuns. It reveals to us the coming and going of the people inside temple, the movie of the lives of the faithful.
Singapore at Dawn / Lester Koh Meng Hua, Singapore
Image Description: The rustic charm of one of Singapore’s Oldest Public housing with very simple geometric design of squares and circles somehow intrigued me. On my first visit during the day, I took a few shots but was not satisfied. I decided to check out what it would look like at dawn and discovered that the mixed warm and cold corridor lighting added more appeal to the image. My next thought was how to show that this scene was taken in Singapore. So on 14th August 2016, during Singapore’s 51st National Day celebration month, I proceeded to the location at dawn and saw Singapore flags proudly displayed by the residents in front of their apartment. This was the scene I had envisioned and happily clicked away.
Skeet Hall / Nick Frank, Germany
Image Description: Largest skeet hall all over Europe
Röntgenarchitektur / Oscar Lopez, Germany
Image Description: There is more to see in a building than one can see with the naked eye: stories being played in the inside while the world continues turning around in the outside. This image shows the office building called Dockland in Hamburg, Germany and was taken in summer of 2016.
The View / Robert Walker, UK
Image Description: View from Switch House at Tate Modern towards the Shard
Ysios / Ute Scherhag, Germany
Image Description: This image was taken at the 31.5.2016. It shows the facade with entrance of the winery "Ysios". Bodegas Ysios is a Spanish wine cellar in Laguardia in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. The cellar building was designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava. The building is designed to integrate into the hilly landscape of the Sierra de Cantabria.
With the victory, Cornhill will receive a Sony α7 II with lens kit, and will continue on to compete for the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards’ Open Photographer of the Year. Results of the Open Photographer of the Year and the Professional competition will be announced on April 20.
To see all of the winning and shortlisted photographs from all categories, visit the World Photography Organisation’s website, here.
