Micro to Macro: Vision Awards Photographers Capture Captivating Design at Scale

Photographers have the power to reveal the expansive scope of architects’ work.

The 13th A+Awards invites firms to submit a range of timely new categories, emphasizing architecture that balances local innovation with global vision. Your projects deserve the spotlight, so start your submission today!

Architecture is increasingly discovered through the lens of photographers. Taking images of buildings, interiors, landscapes and cities, photographers are capturing the atmosphere and spirit of a place. This also happens across far-ranging scales, from water droplets on a street post to vast landscapes where buildings sit within the horizon.

Architizer launched the Vision Awards to recognize the students, professionals and studios that are capturing images and photographs of architecture around the world. This year, there were hundreds of entries submitted across more than 30 categories. The following work represents the winning entries in four of them: Exterior Photograph, Interior Photograph, Landscape Photograph and Urban Photograph.

Discover the incredible images and descriptions of each photographer’s work below:

Off-Grid Guest House

By Anacapa Architecture / Aaron Leitz, Studio Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Exterior Photograph

“Nestled into one of California’s last remaining undeveloped coastal areas, this residence represents a balancing act of creating a project that is both dramatic and environmentally sensitive.

Upon approach, the project is invisible. Visitors enter the main living space from the auto court by descending between the forms of the residence; it’s not clear whether this is landscape intervention or architecture.

Responsive to the topography yet confident in its identity, the cantilevered build reveals itself; jutting out of the cliffside, it blurs the lines between built and unbuilt. The glass peninsula contains operable glass walls that summon various ocean vistas depending on the time and tides. The material palette is simple: glass, concrete and steel meant to weather naturally and patina over time, directly reflecting its rugged, off-grid environs. It’s a house for speculation and contemplation, meant to let the view take precedence over the architecture.”

Shrouded Heights – Boston’s Financial District

By Mayar Ariss / Diego Morra, Student Winners, 2023 Vision Awards, Exterior Photograph

“The hidden tops of Boston’s Financial District skyscrapers can be seen as a metaphor for the elusive nature of wealth and power. Just like how the fog partially conceals the towers, the financial industry can often be opaque and difficult to understand. The towers represent the visible symbol of the wealth and influence concentrated in the hands of a select few. They also are the physical manifestation of the financial industry’s influence over the urban landscape.

Here, the fog obscures the true extent of that power and influence. The presence of fog also suggests a deeper significance. It reminds us that, no matter how high we build, there are still elements beyond our control that obscure our views and limit our perspectives. In this way, the fog serves as a reminder of the fragility of power structures, and the ways in which they can be disrupted by external forces.”

Kites

By Mayar Ariss / Diego Morra, Professional Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Exterior Photograph

“Photograph taken at the plaza of Kanagawa Institute of Technology in Japan designed by Ishigami Junya. The photograph is titled Kites as the square openings on the thin metal roof distorts when viewed from above. At different seasons of the year, the metal roof expands and contracts according to the changing temperature. Thus, different shadows are casted on the plaza space below.

I intently waited until a passerby walk by underneath the roof in order to give the audience a notion of the sense of human scale as well as the feeling of vastness through architecture. The negative white space is used as a metaphorical reference to the sky and the openings to be the kites floating in the wind. Through this expression, the photograph intends to evoke a feeling of isolation and to question our existence as mankind and the vastness of the space we inhibit.”

Front of House/Back of House

By John Muggenborg Architectural Photography, Studio Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Interior Photograph

“To me, this image acts a reminder that for all we see in life, there are many elements in the ‘Back of House’ that contribute to the performance that we see around us.

An an architectural photographer, I typically show only the ‘presentable’ side of a project. When I scout out a site before I photograph it I’m often intrigued to learn what goes on ‘behind the curtain’ at many businesses. For this shoot I finally had the opportunity to illustrate that what we see on stage from the comfort of our seats is only part of the whole picture.

Front of House/Back of House. Preparation and Presentation. The Raw and The Refined. Cold and Hard / Warm and Soft. The Theatrical Dichotomy of Life.”

Youngmeyer Ranch Research Facility

By Brad Feinknopf, Professional Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Landscape Photograph

“What made this project truly remarkable was undeniably its breathtaking setting in the Flint Hills of Kansas. On our first day, despite getting lost and missing the sunrise, I was resolute that we must return. The significance of capturing the sunrise at this location was paramount. Positioned on a ridge, the research facility overlooks the very region it seeks to understand. Its light serves as both a literal and metaphorical beacon — a symbol of illumination and knowledge through research.

Utilizing a drone was instrumental in showcasing its presence within the remote landscape, offering a sweeping perspective that a ground-level camera could never achieve. The drone’s far-reaching scope captured the essence of this extraordinary location, emphasizing its profound connection to the surrounding landscape and highlighting its unique role as a bastion of enlightenment in the midst of natural beauty.”

Liège-Guillemins

By Kai van Reenen, Student Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Interior Photograph

“A lone, late holiday afternoon traveller, quickly pausing to check the time table. Accompanied by nothing but a stinging cold winter wind below the pristine white concrete skeleton of the Liège-Guillemins station, she quickly walks off to the platform. The scene, characterised by the surgically sterile environment, seems almost dystopian. For most however, this will be a rare sight. The station is one of the busiest of Belgium. For most, the enormous concrete, steel, glass and hardstone carcass has quickly become a city icon; one of travel and homecoming. Part of daily life.

The Station of Liège-Guillemins was designed by Santiago Calatrava and opened on September 18th, 2009 (Liège, Belgium). The signature and imposing concrete arches span an astounding 525 feet (160 meters) and reach a height of 115 feet (35 meters).”

Women Gather

By Bruce Engel, Professional Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Interior Photograph

The women’s brick making cooperative in Kayonza, the Eastern Province of Rwanda, sit and take pride in their work. They hand made the bricks that give shape to this classroom space, and produced all of the approximately half a million bricks that comprise the “Women’s Opportunity Center” by Sharon Davis Design for the NGO Women for Women International. Here, women in this rural and poor community can find training in women’s rights, literacy, health, and valuable vocational skills.

At the core of the campus are seven classrooms/training rooms, built in the round, reflecting the traditional architecture, and meant to achieve an intimate, secure, and feminine space where women can gather. It was an honor to be a part of this project: helping train these women in brick making, having a hand in the design and construction and seeing the space in use.

Skygarden with Mirror Pond and Media Art

By Blue Oh & HDEC, Studio Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Landscape Photograph

The skygarden of Amropacific HQ is unique. The center space of the building was emptied with 5 stories height volume and installed a very flat mirror pond reflecting maple trees and media art above. The photo tried to capture a momentary scenery of sunset time when you can see the landscape view with natural sunlight while artificial lightings such as media art on ceiling just start flashing. A big frame of the building itself frames the photographic composition with its original intention that makes a visionary connection between in — out spaces.

Water Intake Tower on the Mississippi

By Jack London Freedman, Student Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Landscape Photograph

“Jack London Freedman is a multidisciplinary designer, photographer, and recently graduated from the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles with a Master of Architecture. He is also a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where he earned his B.S. in Architecture while minoring in Urban Design and Psychology. He has worked for architecture and design offices in New York City including 2 x 4, inc. and Snarkitecture, and art practices including BIGHEAVY STUDIOS and Carol Bove Studio.

This drone photograph was a finalist in the 2020 Architizer One Photo Challenge, and depicts an artifact of American infrastructural optimism. Standing tall over the Chain of Rocks, this tower’s sober elegance and charm captured my imagination.”

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By Sordo Madaleno, Studio Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Urban Photograph

“In the past century, Mexico City experienced a profound transformation reflected in its urban layout, streets, buildings, and rooftops—a visual testament to its rich history. This image captures the current state of this evolution, situated at the epicenter where Sordo Madaleno’s design for one of the tallest towers in Latin America is about to rise. Located on a defining city avenue, it serves as a backdrop for diverse activities like political protests, recreation, and Sunday walks.

Technically executed through planned drone flights, this image comprises a mosaic of 70 seamlessly integrated pictures, offering a glimpse into the area’s essence. However, it represents only a fraction of the complete narrative. It holds the potential to be replicated in the future, perhaps in 50 or 100 years. This photo’s second part contrasts and explores the prospects that lie ahead, encompassing not just urban possibilities but also technological advancements.”

Playful Growth

By Youyuan Lin, Student Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Urban Photograph

“Captured in City View Park of Mississauga, the photo portrays the lovable soccer play between the son and his mother, with the buildings in construction as the background. Despite wearing a red dress, the mom tries her best to play the goalie, acting as the supportive warrior guarding the growth and passion of her son. Similarly, symbolized by the newly populated architectural infrastructures, Mississauga is a city with growing development and possibilities, requiring nurturing and support from its people.

Accompanied by the gentle breeze and the beautiful glow of the golden hour, every movement in the photograph echoes with the harmonious color palette of the cityscape, thus forming a warm atmosphere indestructible in its evocation of determination, imagination, innovation and delectation. Perhaps what makes the photo special is the earnest hope for vitalization through the constant growth shown by both the city and its inhabitants.”

Am Kupfergraben, Berlin (2018)

By Robert Herrmann, Professional Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Urban Photograph

“Berliners swimming along the Spree is history and seems impossible? No it isn’t! Once a year swimmers go with the flow and back conquering the river along the waterfront of Berlin’s largest ensemble of heritage buildings — the Museum Island. The annual contest is organized by the registered association Flussbad Berlin e.V. and serves as a model for how the river can be reclaimed for the city. The goal is to make it accessible as a natural public space and thus improve the urban quality of life in the long term.”