THE ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2020

The Architectural Photography Awards (APA) will not be taking place this year. Covid-19 has turned the world on its head with well-made plans being cancelled, postponed or being reimagined for a virtual audience.

The APA’s chief supporter, the World Architecture Festival (WAF), who was due to hold its live event in December in Lisbon, will instead be bringing us WAFVirtual - a brand-new online event taking place from 30th November - 4th December 2020. WAF’s live event will be returning in June 2021.

The spirit of the APA will be part of WAFVirtual and we're working with WAF to keep the role of photography on the agenda with a photo-led event each day.

All is not lost; Lynne Bryant, the founder of The Architectural Photography Awards, has co-created the Global SinoPhoto Awards - an exciting new international photography competition which has just launched and is now open for entries inviting professional, amateur, young photographers - anyone interested in Chinese culture - to participate.

The Global SinoPhoto Awards are different - they focus on people. However, included in the 7 categories is Heritage & Architecture, which may be of interest to APA entrants.

The Global SinoPhoto Awards 2020 are supported by WAF China, an expansion of the WAF brand, as well as stock photography library, Alamy, and among the panel of judges is Patrik Schumacher, Principal of Zaha Hadid Architects.

We will bring The Architectural Photography Awards back next year, Covid-19 permitting, so please stay with us until then.

Thank you for all of your continued support and interest.

-----

WINNERS OF THE ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2019:          

Laurian Ghinitoiu wins BIG in 3 categories

Friday 6th December 2019: Laurian Ghinitoiu from Romania with his photograph of The Twist Museum, Kistefos Sculpture Park, Jevnaker, Norway by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), is the overall winner of The Architectural Photography Awards 2019, which are sponsored by Sto and supported by the World Architecture Festival (WAF).

Laurian’s image, which he entered into the Exterior category winning him a prize of $3000, was announced as the overall winner at the WAF Gala Ceremony and Dinner in Amsterdam on Friday 6th December.

Laurian Ghinitoiu’s second win is in the Portfolio category, which this year’s theme was Social Housing, with his photos of the GHI transformation project - part of the Cité du Grand Parc in Bordeaux, France by Lacaton & Vassal, Druot, Hutin, winning him a prize of $1000.  

Laurian had this to say about winning: “I’m humbled to be selected as the winner in three categories of The Architectural Photography Awards 2019. These awards confirm my belief that if one devotes their focus and hard work to passion, it can lead to great, acknowledged results. The feeling that I’m appreciated for my work is definitely giving me energy and will to keep doing what I do, and I hope my example will inspire others to follow their dreams just like the work of other professionals inspired me before. When shooting The Twist, designed by BIG, it was challenging to combine in one single frame the main particularities of the project: its sculptural shape, the structure that expands over the river, as a bridge, and at the same time to imply that ‘the object’ is actually a functional building. The context, the design and its scale, the poetry of the sinuous lines that are melting with the surroundings in a surreal atmosphere, are the elements that are making the captured image to be abstract but descriptive at the same time.”

The Mobile category, with the theme of Shelter, has 2 winners who each win a prize of $250. Tzu Chin Yu from Taiwan with a photograph of the Bathing Pavilion Tossols-Basil, Olot, Spain by RCR Arquitectes, shot on a Samsung SM-G973F, was voted for by visitors to WAF. He Zhenhuan from China with his photograph of Chongqing Railway Station in China, which was shot on an iPhone X, wins the public vote. Public votes were cast via The Architectural Photography Awards 2019 competition website.

Laurian Ghinitoiu’s third win comes with winning the Buildings in Use category with his photo of Skanderbeg Square, Tirana, Albania by 51N4E. Inge Schuster from Denmark, with her photograph of the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT), Lisbon, Portugal by Amanda Levete, is the Sense of Place category winner, and He Zhenhuan wins again with his photograph of BingDing Wood Kiln Factory in Qiancheng village, China by AZL Architects, as the Interior category winner. Each category winner will receive a certificate of commendation.

The winning images, with the exception of one of the Mobile category winners, were voted for by visitors to WAF where the shortlist of 24 photos from the 6 categories - Exterior, Interior, Sense of Place and Buildings in Use, Portfolio and Mobile - were exhibited.  

Nearly 2000 entries from 42 countries - 29% were from the UK, 11% from the USA, 9% from China and 5% from Germany - were edited down to a shortlist of 24 entries by a panel of judges, consisting of leading architecture and photography professionals. During the judging process, all entries were anonymous until the shortlist was revealed.

Back to top

-----

THE ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2019 SHORTLIST REVEALED

Wednesday 6th November 2019: The Architectural Photography Awards 2019, sponsored by Sto and supported by the World Architecture Festival (WAF), proudly reveals this year’s shortlisted images, which were selected from nearly 2000 entries from 42 countries. 29% of the entries were from the UK, 11% from the USA and 9% from China.

The shortlist consists of four entries from 6 categories: Exterior, Interior, Sense of Place, Buildings in Use, Mobile, which this year’s theme is Shelter, and Portfolio with the theme of Social Housing. The photographs will be exhibited at WAF in Amsterdam from 4th - 6th December where visitors can vote for the winners, which will be announced during the WAF Gala Ceremony and Dinner on Friday 6th December.

Exterior Category

Interior Category

Sense of Place Category

Buildings in Use Category

Portfolio Category: Social Housing

Mobile Category: Shelter

Back to top

-----

Tuesday 24th September 2019: Sto's Richard Walker looks on as The Architectural Photography Awards founder, Lynne Bryant sits with judges Mike Taylor, Principal at Hopkins Architects, John McElgunn, Partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Ellie Stathaki, Architecture Editor at Wallpaper* magazine and Katy Harris, Head of Communications at Foster + Partners, as they discuss entries during the first round of judging of this year's Architectural Photography Awards at Sto’s international project support hub, the StoWerkstatt in Clerkenwell, London 

-----

-----

July 2019: THE ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2019 ARE NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES!

Win the opportunity to have your images exhibited at this year’s World Architecture Festival in Amsterdam - a unique annual event attended by the world’s leading architects - plus cash prizes of up to $4500.

The Architectural Photography Awards 2019, sponsored by Sto and supported by the World Architecture Festival (WAF), highlights the expertise of architectural photography and aims to put the focus onto the skill and creativity of the photographer.

For the second year running, in addition to the Exterior, Interior, Sense of Place and Buildings in Use categories, you can now enter your images into a Mobile category, which this year’s theme is Shelter, and a Portfolio category with the theme of Social Housing.

-----

Tuesday 18th June 2019: Launch party of the Architectural Photography Awards at the Turkish Trade Centre in London with overall winner of the APA 2018, Pawel Paniczko, making a guest appearance.  

-----

Monday 17th June 2019: Finishing touches to the exhibition and the entrance to the Turkish Trade Centre which features Pawel's winning image.

For the first time, the winners of the Architectural Photography Awards 2018 will be on show for the public to see in all their splendid glory. The overall winning image, the Buildings in Use, Exteriors, Interiors, Sense of Place, Mobile and Portfolio category winners, will be displayed in a gallery at the Turkish Trade Centre for Architecture and Design, a showroom and events space, which is a new hub for architecture and design in the heart of London’s creative Clerkenwell district.

Prints of the winning images are complemented by numerous videos throughout the Turkish Trade Centre showcasing the entries for the 2018 Awards.

The exhibition at the Turkish Trade Centre for Architecture and Design, 26 St Cross St, London EC1N 8UH, will run from 19th June until the end of August.

-----

Thursday 7th March 2019: Overall and Portfolio category winner of the Architectural Photography Awards 2018, Pawel Paniczko receives his certificate from APA Director, Lynne Bryant during Sto Werkstatt's Building Images: Concept to Completion event at London's Lever Gallery.

Back to top

Building Images: Concept to Completion event Thursday 7th March 2019

Building Images: Concept to Completion - a panel inspired by themes and work presented in this year's Architectural Photography Awards, presented by Sto Werkstatt.

This panel is an opportunity to hear from shortlisted and winning architectural photographers, including winner of the Architectural Photography Awards 2018, Pawel Paniczko, shortlisted architectural photographers Laurian Ghinitoiu (Architectural Photography Awards 2018) and Martine Hamilton Knight (Architectural Photography Awards 2017), each presenting recent works and insights into their developing industry. They will be joined by architects, 3D CGI artists and creative directors on the evolution of architectural image making from concept to completion, and the increasing importance of photographic methods throughout.

The event will be chaired by Paul Finch, Programme Director of the World Architecture Festival

-----

WINNERS OF THE ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018 ANNOUNCED

30th November 2018: Pawel Paniczko from Stalybridge in Manchester, UK, with his photo of the Long Museum West Bund, Shanghai, China by Atelier Deshaus, is the overall winner of the Architectural Photography Awards 2018, which is sponsored by Sto and Dornbracht and supported by the World Architecture Festival (WAF) and Picsel.

After 2 rounds of judging, over 1200 of entries from the 4 main categories - Exterior, Interior, Sense of Place and Buildings in Use - were whittled down to a shortlist of 20 images and the overall winner was voted for by visitors to WAF.

Pawel’s image, which he entered into the Exterior category winning him $3000, was announced as the overall winner at the WAF Gala dinner in Amsterdam on Friday 30th November.

Pawel is also the winner of the Portfolio category, a new category added to this year’s competition, as chosen by this year’s panel of judges, winning a $1000 prize with his 6 images of the Harbin Opera House, Harbin, China by MAD Architects.

The Mobile category, another new category added this year, has 2 winners, each winning a prize of $250. He Zhenhuan from China with his photo of an overpass in Chongqing, China, which was shot on an Apple iPhone SE, was chosen by our panel of judges, and John Pinder from Carshalton, UK wins the public vote with Half Spiral, an abstract photo of a spiral staircase, which was shot on a Samsung Galaxy S8. Votes were cast via the competition website.

Overall and Portfolio winner Pawel Paniczko says: “I love to photograph buildings that create emotions and both Long Museum West Bund and Harbin Opera House were these kinds of structures. Spending a time in and around these buildings, watching how people interact with them and how the light changes in the course of a day, was truly inspirational. That helped me to catch the essence of the buildings presented in my images. Shooting in China on my own was logistically challenging but also a fantastic experience. I am extremely delighted and proud that my work has been appreciated and that I have won The Architectural Photography Awards 2018. Winning 2 categories wasn't something that I was expecting at all. Especially a portfolio category - it has a huge meaning for me personally, as it proves that I can create a meaningful set of photographs presenting the subject at its best.”

The Award and certificates were accepted on behalf of the winners by Architectural Photography Awards founder, Lynne Bryant and Ulrike Stotmeister, ambassador of the Stotmeister family, during the WAF Gala dinner.

Back to top