Illuminating Nocturnal London on the River Thames

Robin De Clercq — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 19:05:32 +0000

Running through the heart of London, the River Thames has always been at the center of the city’s evolution, shaping its communities and driving its economy. By day, the river continues to provide a huge source of pleasure for both Londoners and for millions of visitors each year, but at night much of this liquid history fades into a ribbon of darkness.

That’s why The Illuminated River was conceived – because London is a twenty-four-hour city and the Thames should be a place to enjoy after dark. In this major new public art initiative, teams of artists, lighting designers, engineers, architects, and technology experts from across the globe were encouraged to design ideas for creative light art installations for central London’s bridges. Over 100 teams from 20 different countries eventually entered the competition, and six finalists were chosen on November 29.

One of these finalists will become the one who will actually transform London by night, using the seventeen Thames crossings from Albert to Tower as canvases for light. The winner will be announced on December 8, and if all stakeholders agree, the first phase to actually develop the project is planned to start in 2018. The Illuminated River Foundation will then “seek the balance of the costs of the project from private and philanthropic sources rather than the public purse.”

Which of the following projects do you think should win? We selected three images from each of the finalists, but you can view the full concepts on the website of The Illuminated River.

Thames Nocturne

A River Ain’t Too Much To Light

Current

Synchronizing the City: Its Natural and Urban Rhythms

The Eternal Story of the River Thames

Blurring Boundaries

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5 Architecture Photographers to Follow on Instagram

Jordana Wright — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 17:05:31 +0000

Every great architect is – necessarily – a great poet. He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age.

-Frank Lloyd Wright

One of the most remarkable aspects of international travel is the ability to learn about a culture and its history through its architecture. Cityscapes are time capsules, telling the stories of the years through line, shape, material, and juxtaposition. From the complexity of a column, to the smoothness of a well-worn stair, every inch of a structure speaks of the past as well as the present. While the Architect works artistically on a grand visual scale, the Architecture Photographer must choose whether to tell the story of a building by its full shape or by abstraction of the details within. Excellent architectural photography can inspire emotion and the urge to travel just as well as a stunning natural landscape, and there is no better place to find such inspiring work from across the globe than Instagram.

There is an abundance of architecture photography on Instagram — just search #architecture and you’ll get thousands of results. You can find many accounts of curated architecture photographs from accounts like Architectural Digest (@archdigest) and Architecture Hunter (@architecture_hunter) that guarantee brilliant photographs daily from multiple sources, but I’ve assembled my five favorite single-photographer accounts for international architecture images. I love seeing the images that these artists create throughout their travels and I think you will too…

stoptheroc — Roc Isern Barbat

Based in Spain, Barbat features large-scale images of world-renowned Barcelona architecture. Most often her images depict squarely shot facades and upward views. I love her sense of balance and use of negative space, always feeling drawn in and mesmerized by each of her photographs.

le_blanc — Sebastian Weiss

With an Instagram feed full of incredible architectural abstractions, Weiss introduces the beauty of line and form found in structures throughout Europe. A photographer and columnist for Architectural Digest, he describes himself as “Passionate about concrete aesthetics and the beauty seen in city shapes.” His approach examines the whole of a structure, searching for its essence, free from the context of the surrounding cityscape. While he is most often drawn to photograph concrete buildings, he beautifully captures the substance of glass and wooden structures as well. http://www.le-blanc.com/

macenzo — Dirk Bakker

With an eye for color and pattern, this Graphic Designer turned Photographer has quickly become one of my favorite architectural artists. Bakker often features architecture reflected in the waterways that have come to define my mental image of Amsterdam, his home city. Between his use of vibrant color and the occasional well-placed pedestrian for scale, his images often feel larger than life and twice as striking. About his work, he says, “I see a big connection between architecture and graphic design. It’s all about shapes, form, layout and patterns as well as constructing things, putting things together. The way I view and shoot the world is strongly influenced by this love.” http://www.macenzo.nl/

cimkedi — Yener Torun

Energetic colors, square lines, and perfect sharpness are the qualities you can expect from Torun’s work. His photographs are largely taken in Istanbul, where he lives, yet they depict a different type of architecture than what one might expect. He deliberately seeks out structures that are a departure from Istanbul’s typical ornate Ottoman or Baroque styles. Addicted to symmetry and repetition, Torun often utilizes well placed human subjects and coordinates their wardrobe with the colors of the backdrop. He has even been known to continue an architectural line across his subject’s clothing with a stripe of paint. For imaginative and uplifting architectural images, be sure to check out his feed.

petestew — Peter Stewart

An award-winning travel photographer, Stewart may quickly become one of your favorite artists. His Instagram feed features images from his largely nomadic life, focusing on the abstract and mass-scale in the vertical architecture of Asia. Dizzying images looking up or down central atriums give a unique perspective on life in such densely populated areas. Massive collections of windows and porches, filled with signs of life and color, converge in unique geometric forms and concentric patterns. For a steady stream of extraordinary architecture photography, be sure to give him a follow. http://www.peterstewartphotography.com/

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