CIOB Art of Building photo contest 2022

[edit] 2022 Winners revealed

The winners of the Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) annual Art of Building competition have been revealed.

The competition, the world’s largest photography competition positioning buildings and construction s works of art, received more than 1,500 entries from across the Globe, which were whittled down to a final 12 by judges before the world’s public were given the chance to vote online for their favourite. A judges’ favourite has also been chosen.

[edit] Public Choice winner

The photo which received the most votes from the public is called ‘White Constellation’ and was taken by professional photographer, Francesca Pompei, from Italy. It depicts the UAE Pavilion at last year’s Dubai Expo which was designed by Swiss-Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. In her entry Francesca described the pavilion as “a symbol of resilience and of a boundless future embracing a dialogue among different cultures.” Read more about it here

[edit] Judges Choice winner

The judges’ favourite photo is called ‘My own little cosmos within reach’ and was taken by Pati John from the Netherlands. It shows the night sky above her home country as viewed from a shopping mall. Pati describes her shot as “the most beautiful milky way I have seen - surrounded by amazing architectural symmetry.” She said: “I discovered this astonishing view looking up while I walked around the mall. It was breath-taking so I stayed there for a long time with my tripod and ND filter to capture every detail in my long exposure shot.”

Both winning photographers will receive a £1,500 prize.

[edit] Comments

Joanna Quirk, Chief Operating Officer at CIOB, who was on the judging panel for the competition, said: “So many finalists managed to create a sense of mood and place, it was a delight to judge the competition. Francesca’s image shows the beauty and harmony in great architecture and it is a reminder of the impact on our emotions and well-being that well-designed buildings can have.

“Pati John’s little cosmos shot had all the judges wowed at the tone it struck. It is a beautifully symmetrical shot and revealed a wonderful building detail that many of us might just walk by. We should look up more often and pay attention to what is around us. The night sky was the perfect backdrop for this enchanting image.”

All 12 competition finalists can be seen online here

[edit] Public vote

The Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) annual Art of Building Competition received more than 1,500 entries from across the world including from China, Spain, the Netherlands, Singapore and Cyprus. The photos were whittled down to a final 12 by judges who are now turning to the public to cast their vote and decide on the winner.

The dozen shortlisted photos include one of a pink church on a deserted beach in Qinhuangdao in China, Berlin’s Humboldt University Library, an unusual and colourful staircase in Hong Kong and a greenhouse in Singapore.

All 12 photos can be seen online here

The competition, which is free to enter, opened in October and closed on November 27. During this time entries poured in from both amateur and professional photographers, hoping to win one of two £1,500 prizes and the recognition of having their photo promoted across the globe.

The public can vote for their favourite photo between December 15 and January 15. The Public Choice winning photo will be announced on January 26, 2023, when a second photo will be selected by the judges as Judges Choice winner.

Joanna Quirk, Chief Operating Officer at CIOB, who was on the judging panel for this year’s competition, said: “The breadth of photography we have seen this year is amazing. From those who are revealing a little-known building to those showcasing a familiar icon in a new light. The competition is more than just the pictures, it also sparks conversations about the way the built environment affects so many aspects of our lives. Now we encourage the public to join that dialogue by choosing their favourite. We wish all our finalists the best of luck.”

Photos from the competition are often used in pop up style art galleries on construction site fencing across the globe, being seen by millions of passers-by.

Last Year’s Public Choice winning photo was taken by Rahaman Hossain and showed a woman collecting water from a pond in front of the spectacular World Heritage Site, Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. The judges’ winner was Mikhail Proskalov for his exquisite photograph of the Lakhta Centre in St Petersburg, captured using drone technology.

[detail of image; the tallest skyscraper in Europe taken by Mikhail Proskalov previous winner]

[edit] Free to enter

The competition, which is free to enter, attracts thousands of entries each year from both amateur and professional photographers, hoping to win one of two £1,500 prizes and the recognition of having their photo promoted across the globe.

[edit] Comment

Saul Townsend, from the Chartered Institute of Building, said: “Although many people will think of buildings purely as functional structures, through our competition we hope to change that mindset and help everyone to see them as works of art. Even just a window of a standard office block for example can look spectacular in the right light from the right angle, so just about anything can become a brilliant photo.”

Photos from the competition are often used in pop up style art galleries on construction site fencing across the globe, being seen by millions of passers-by.

Townsend added: “The competition celebrates the creativity of the built environment industry, the passion of the people who work within it, and the impact their work has on those who make use of the final construction. We all spend most or all of our days in or around buildings, be it our homes, workplaces, or social spaces, so good subject matter should be easy to come by for everyone particularly as the photos can be taken on mobile devices and you don’t have to be a professional photographer. We love seeing the thousands of photos we receive each year, and it gives us great insight into what the public see as art. As the competition is free to enter, we hope lots of people will get involved to be in with a shout of winning.”

[edit] 2021 results

2021 finalists included photos taken in India, Russia, Japan, the Netherlands and the USA with entries being received from more than 100 countries. The Public Choice winning photo was taken by Rahaman Hossain and showed a woman collecting water from a pond in front of the spectacular World Heritage Site, Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. The judges’ winner was Mikhail Proskalov for his exquisite photograph of the Lakhta Centre in St Petersburg, captured using drone technology. Standing at 462 meters tall, the Lakhta Centre is the tallest building in Russia and Europe. The Judges Choice winner in 2020 depicted the restoration of Big Ben in London.

[edit] Further Information

The Art of Building competition is open to anyone over 18 years of age and the deadline for entry is Sunday November 27, 2022. For more information visit https://artofbuilding.org

This article first appeared on the CIOB news and blog site as "Annual photographic competition celebrates the Art of Building" dated October 18, 2022. The updated article regarding the voting process also appeared on the CIOB news and blog site entitled "Time to vote in annual Art of Building competition" dated December 15, 2022

--CIOB

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