Explore a further 25 extraordinary architectural photographs, each one a Finalist in the 2022 One Photo Challenge. Let us know which are your favorites on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #OnePhotoChallenge!
← Previous 25 Photos Next 25 Photos →
“Tempus Fugit” by George Messaritakis
“Immediately before I pressed the shutter while photographing this summer house conversion of an old barn house, the architect walked across the room to stand in front of the window and see what I was up to, perfectly silhouetting himself against the lights and merging in a fleeting instance building, creator, time, and space.”
Camera: Fujifilm SLR
“Perfect marriage” by José Benito Garcia
“Maat Museum in Lisbon, Portugal. The building blends with the river as a perfect couple.The location and the multiple ways you can interact, cross, feel, touch and love this building makes it an unmissable reference in Lisbon modern architecture.”
Camera: iPhone
“Maggie on the Mountain | French Broad House by Sanders Pace Architecture” by Keith Isaacs
Keith Isaacs Photo
“Maggie on the Mountain was captured one morning early in the pandemic, where we stood and waited, and waited for the fog to break, to gift us a ray or two of light. It was a feeling very akin to feelings of that 2020 spring, when we were all waiting for a ray of light. The house is located on a very secluded site in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. It was very peaceful there, almost enough to forget what was going on around the world. Then there was Maggie, who followed us around the whole day as we photographed the house, always happy and blissfully oblivious to what the human world was going through. She and the home were a nice reminder of the peace we can find in the moment and our immediate surroundings, especially when they’re glistening in a ray of light.”
Camera: Sony
“A Moment of Calm Above the Tokyo Skyline” by Ben Richards
Ben Richards Studio
“When first thinking of Tokyo, one might usually imagine towering cityscapes, bright lights and bustling pedestrian crossings. However, living in Tokyo during the pandemic, I experienced a different side to the city – one where I found moments of calm and peace.
This particular image was taken at Aman Tokyo, 33 floors over the dense built landscape. The space itself is designed as an urban sanctuary, and I wanted to create an image to tell this story and give the viewer a sense of calm, distilling the scene into only a few elements. Time of day was very important, with the soft golden light providing an ideal backdrop for the mood I wanted to represent.
Moving into 2022, Tokyo’s borders remain largely closed, and I hope through my images I can share a side to the city that is unknown to many, inspiring a sense of calm to future visitors.”
Camera: Canon
“A serendipitous anchor” by Khush Khandelwal
Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, NMIMS, Mumbai
“The photo frames the Buddhist monastery- Tashichho Dzong in Bhutan. A Dzong is home to the Buddhist monks, and stand as a strong pillar of the foundation of their ideology. The Dzong consciously reflects these ideologies at different wavelengths, from space planning to elemental ornamentations. The Bhutanese window in the frame- Payab Gochu, is one strong instance of the symbolism. The spatial manifestations reflect their principles of simplicity and minimalism. Through the architecture, consciously or subconsciously, one is always reminded and rooted to their beliefs and teachings.
The frame portrays these peculiarities, using multiple spatial layers to add depth to the portrayal, literally and metaphorically. A monk is seen traversing this depth, serendipitously anchoring the layers. A subtle sense of scale is felt, as one is rendered to focus on the intricacy of the monk-sized window, set between the integration of adobe stones, with a juxtaposition of stair risers.”
Camera: Other
“A Totem of Beijing” by Rex Zou
Aaron&Rex
“The existence of super-tall buildings shows the wealth and vitality of this city with a population of tens of millions, and at the same time, super-tall buildings are easily looked up by people from all directions. When I looked at it again on the roof of an already high building, this trophy (Chinese Tripod) – like building was within reach, almost completely grasped. CITIC Tower (China Zun), like a totem of Beijing, stands upright in the land and radiates its direct and powerful ability.”
Camera: Fujifilm SLR
“The shape of Arch” by xiao Mike
mmcm studio
“As one of the earliest architectural structures, arch is often translated into different shape of forms in modern architecture. This photo was taken in a teaching building of the Polus college. The atrium of the building is surrounded by arches to shape a shared public space of corridor, which reflects a sense of sequency.”
Camera: Canon
“The Zipper” by Lars Gruber
Lars Gruber Architekturfotografie
“The photo shows my assistant looking out over the city of Düsseldorf from the roof terrace of the RKM740 project by J. Mayer H. Architekten, also known as “The Zipper”, because of its striking facade. Some of the construction workers call the roof terrace the “Shark’s Mouth” – also a pretty good description in my opinion! Our shooting day started with fog, but luckily right on time the sun came out and created this wonderful light and atmosphere.”
Camera: Canon
“Deserted” by Boran Hrelja
“Image showcasing the ABSOLUTE WORLD condo complex in Mississauga, Canada, was designed by MAD Architect and viewed from the adjacent parking. In the last couple of years, we globally witnessed an unprecedented event of conquering the whole world by invisible microscopic creatures. Humanity strike back with everything we have. One of the options was to reduce the mobility and movement of the population to reduce the risk of exposure.
This measure drastically changed our cities, where we live, and places we love were transformed into empty, deserted shales. We created ghost towns. At that exact time, nature was going business as usual; it was raining, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the grass was grooving. Despite the uncomfortable emptiness of places, we can occasionally be surprised by the warmth and beauty of the light. It gives us hope and appreciation of architecture and life itself.”
Camera: Canon
“Seattle Public Library” by Paul Vu
Here And Now Agency
“A former architect visits the library designed for the future in Seattle, Washington. He admires the multi-faceted space and how its visitors are using it – for work, for community interaction and for discovery.”
Camera: Leica
“Incoherence” by Alan Curtis
drive architecture
“Looking outward from inside the Snohetta designed 911 memorial pavilion.
Humans search for meaning shape our interventions in the natural world. In this photo nature is present but only as a reminder that it exists within multiple contexts, layers and scales of discordant human narratives.”
Camera: iPhone
“Thoughts” by Monica Graham
“Early in the morning, walking in front of One Manhattan West, in New York City, I saw a man taking a moment to rest and reflect.
One Manhattan West is part of Brookfield Properties’ Manhattan West development. It is an extension of the larger Hudson Yards neighborhood which is built above active train railroads to create buildable land where none existed before.
Skidmore, Owens and Merril designed this building without perimeter columns. This allows passersby to appreciate the 45-foot-high lobby through the equally impressive tall windows. The central, sculptural pedestal is the reinforced concrete and steel core that bears the full load of the perimeter columns of the 67 floors above.
The man is creating a personal moment by leaning his weight on the massive column.”
Camera: iPhone
“Graduation day” by Jeff Durkin
Breadtruck Films
“During the covid school closures I became the teacher at home responsible for my daughter’s education as my wife moved into working from home. I told my 6 year old that if she worked really hard I would buy her balloons and take her to the University California San Diego campus on graduation day 2021. And we did it…She graduated kindergarten and I snapped this stunning photo as a memory of getting through a difficult time.”
Camera: Canon
“blade runner” by Jeff Durkin
Breadtruck Films
“I was in Dallas Texas spending an afternoon at I.M. Pei’s City Hall when group of Challenged Athletes ran past my camera. It turns out it was a 5K race with hundreds of runners, and cyclists with prosthetics that helped them compete. They moved quickly and I snapped off a few frames…Ending on this shot here…
With the strong diagonal line and negative space it really forces the eye to focus on the human subject and his running blades. The blades are a new innovation for people who have lost limbs juxtaposed in front of the equally innovative Dallas city hall that was unlike any thing ever built at the time. I wonder what I.M. Pei would say about the forward design and form of the new prosthetics. I think he would really love this shot…”
Camera: Canon
“Alfa” by Shoayb Khattab
Shoayb Khattab Photography
“Designed by Foster+Partners, Alif – The Mobility Pavilion was unveiled at this year’s Dubai Expo. I intended for the picture to capture the essence of every successful architecture entity; people, form, function, mood, sense of scale and a sense of place presented altogether in a harmonious composition.”
Camera: Sony
“Apple Fifth Avenue” by Louis Pounders
ANF Architects
“We live in a high-tech world and our built environment has been greatly influenced by innovations in technology.
Apple has been a leader in tech development for over 45 years and here, in the middle of New York City, one can appreciate its tech-driven architecture as expressed by Foster + Partners.
Reflecting the skyscapers surrounding the underground store, Apple’s mirror-polished skylights link the city’s past with its future.
Exposing the photographer humanizes the urban environment.”
Camera: Panasonic
“stair builder” by Jeff Durkin
Breadtruck Films
“I was on assignment at University of California San Diego shooting for Perkins & Will on their new engineering building when I shot this photo. It was the end of a late summer day, and the job site had been full of building materials, dust and a lot of junk. As I was walking out I had noticed that they had cleaned up the ground level area and I snapped this suspended stair twisting out of the ground reaching to the sky. It captured construction in its most sculptural form with a touch of yellow and a worker heading home for the day in the evening light. The building is finished now, and this view will never been seen outside of this captured moment.”
Camera: Canon
“Urban Oasis” by Kevin Siyuan
“This is a photo of CapitaSpring, a biophilic commercial building in Singapore jointly designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and Carlo Ratti Associati.
The building gave me an impression of an enigmatic oasis hidden behind its sleek metallic facade, which are pulled open at a few specific areas to reveal elements of nature. I hope to capture the eye opening design from the street level to show a sense of scale, and this is the best spot I found to appreciate the grandness of the facade up close. At first I was waiting for a green car to drive past but a bird decided to model for me instead. Together with the street landscaping, the scene felt like a big urban oasis.”
Camera: Sony
“Cantilevered Competitors” by Dylan Corr
“The Denver Art Museums sharp and shimmering cantilever was surely not to be outdone by a measly traffic light… The museum and its urban competitor stretch their wings across 13th Ave, piercing through the crystal clear blue sky. Across the street, Gio Ponti’s Martin Building is content to reach up instead of out, in search of sunlight that will sparkle off its gray glass tiles.”
Camera: Sony
“Above the mass.” by 易暹 李
YHLAA
“This is a golf club designed by Siza.
When I went there, I saw a staff climb up on the roof to do some inspections.
He gave the place a better sense of scale.
Otherwise the sense of scale is lost when seeing this carefully arranges mass.”
Camera: Leica
“Yuandang Bridge” by runzi zhu
Fusion Photography Studio
“Yuandang Bridge designed by BAU architects connects Suzhou and Shanghai on Yuandang lake with a pedestrian bridge. People living nearby come a lot for walking and chill, especially in the early morning and dusk, and the sitting area in the middle was appreciated by users. My photo captures the peaceful mood of these two-person, facing the opposite direction and chilling in their own peaceful world.”
Camera: Fujifilm SLR
“Behind the gate” by Yang Chen
whyseeimage
“Many old towns or historical living blocks in urban area of Shanghai are in the process of being demolished or renovated. Majority of the residents have signed agreements and move out already, but there’s still some of them insist on living in their original houses. The exits between inside and outside are usually blocked using steel gateways with an opening on it for daily open-and-close. This is a view of one the openings.”
Camera: Canon
“A decorative doorhead and a little girl” by Yang Chen
whyseeimage
“A little girl walks by a sealed decorative doorhead, waving her badminton rackets. It seems like she’s waiting for her playmate.”
Camera: Canon
“Black and White” by Huanhai Cheng
“Black mesh wall defines white sky.
Black lines divide white marble floor.
Woman in black walked behind men in white.
She wore white sneakers while they wore black sandals.
Sometimes I wish I could easily tell black and white from what I see,
but it never follow your flow, just like you don’t know if those colors were true as above.
With filters applied, subjectivity overrides objectivity,
Black and White, I wish I could remove all filters to see the real world.”
Camera: iPhone
“Eye of the Beholder” by Benjamin Rosenthal
“What does it take to be noticed when all the world’s marvels are available from the palm of your hand?
The Broad in Downtown Los Angeles is undeniably a work of art. A museum as beautiful and complex as any of the collections being housed within it. But what happens when beauty is no longer enough?
This image encapsulates the catch-22 of design innovation made possible by modern technology and the same technology that impedes us from experiencing it.
I took this photo in awe of the Broad’s undulating, almost otherworldly façade while equally struck by how the experience was completely lost on my fellow passerby, too distracted by his phone to even notice.”
Camera: iPhone