Aerial Imagery Depicts Iconic Modern and Contemporary Architecture in a New Perspective

Beijing Daxing International Airport / Zaha Hadid Architects. Image by @seven7panda

Written by Susanna Moreira | Translated by Tarsila Duduch
Published on June 25, 2020

In architecture and urbanism, both proximity and distance from a certain object of study, whether on a building scale or urban scale, are frequent strategies that help us better visualize details and also have a broader overall perception, both essential for understanding the object in question. Changing the point of view allows different perceptions of the same place. By moving from the ground level, or from the eye-level, which we are accustomed to in everyday life, to the aerial point of view, we can establish connections similar to those achieved through site plans, location plans, and urban plans.

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Specifically in architecture, observing a building from above can reveal, for example, how it is inserted into the urban fabric, its relationship with the built environment, and what roof structures are being used. Such notions, obtained by an aerial view, or bird's eye view, are beyond people's natural reach, but by using technology or changing the positioning (on top of a building or inside an airplane, for example), it is possible to widen the field of view, just like when adjusting the mouse wheel or the lenses of a camera.

Overview's website and Instagram "uses aerial and satellite imagery to demonstrate how human activity and natural forces shape our Earth." A collection of images of natural landforms, cities, buildings, etc., reveals the so-called "overview effect," a kind of "synoptic view" captured by cameras, drones, and satellites.

In collaboration with Overview, we selected a series of iconic projects published by ArchDaily, looked at from an aerial point of view, and compared them with images from the viewer's eye-level, depicting these architecture icons under different perspectives.