Modern architecture

This image caught my eye during judging.. I find the subtle colour palette and processing very appealing....However, role of the modern building in this photograph is simply to provide a backdrop for the line of palms which form the focal point of the image. For a contest celebrating "Modern Architecture" I'm afraid it's just too far off brief to make the final cut. In future, find imaginative ways to interpret the brief so that your image stands out from the crowd but still hits the mark. Good luck next time!

With so many excellent images in the top 10, it was a difficult to choose an overall winner. But I kept returning to this image. Its sinuous dark curve running around the edge of the photo frames the building beautifully as it rises skywards, while the spiralling lines between each floor take the eye on a journey around the central focal point. The restrained colour palette is subtle but well toned, with shades of blue in the fenestration picked up and reflected in the backdrop of the sky. All these factors combine to lift the building "out of time and out of breath", epitomising modern architecture as described in the brief. Well done!

I love architectural abstracts and there were many enjoyable examples in the entries into the competition. However, some images missed the fact that this contest was about modern architecture, rather than architectural abstracts. This image succeeded because it manages to combine the essence of an architectural abstract (the strong pattern and shapes of the external cladding) with visual clues to help the viewer see that its part of a building (ductwork and louvres sitting behind the decorative facade). The contrast between the cool tones of the facade decoration and the warmer hues of the structure behind is also very pleasing!

Clean cut, crisp, simple white cubes are a design classic in modern architecture and this part of the Louvre in Abu Dhabi epitomises this stylistic approach. This image caught my eye with its beautiful clear light and fresh but subtle colour palette of blue sky above and green-blue water below, enlivened by the broken reflection of the building in the waves. The perfect way to present this style of modern architecture!

There were many wonderful cityscape images celebrating modern architecture in this competition and I had to include one of them in the top 10! It was a difficult choice, but this one stood out for me. The composition is beautifully balanced, anchored by the circular building of the Hopewell Centre in the middle of the image, set against the backdrop of Hong Kong's angular sky scrapers. The timing is perfect - capturing the fading colours of sunset when its dark enough for the lights of buildings to stand out, but not so dark as to obliterate the townscape context. Well done!

This photograph is all about shapes. The jagged "peaks" of a series of grey monoliths which form the backbone of the composition stand out against the subtle greys of the sky, moving our eye across the top half of the image. These zig zig shapes are echoed below in saw tooth pattern of steps rising from left to right across the bottom half of the image. Including a running man in the bottom right corner gives scale, human interest and movement, as well as reminding us that this almost other worldly environment is a real place!

Dynamic - this is the best word to describe this image of modern architectural engineering! The bridge itself provides a strong diagonal across the image, while the strong vertical line of the supporting element draws our eye back to the centre image where we can enjoy the detail of the structure picked out by artificial lighting. The complementary colours of orange and blue add vibrancy to this night time capture. Nice one!

Its modern architecture. It's an abstract, but one we can instantly recognise as being derived from a high rise building or series of buildings. The repetition of window patterns, floor upon floor, with strong vertical lines in between could have been boring. However, horizontal lines are fractured (foreshortened by a telephoto lens, I'm guessing) adding interest to the composition which is enhanced by a "daisy chain" of large white elements running through the centre. The image is completed with a restrained colour palette which enhances rather than distracts from its abstract nature,.

Beach huts on stilts are not the first thing that spring to mind when thinking about modern architecture, but these little gems with their cantilevered stairs and glazed balconies fit the bill. I love the simplicity of this image. The symmetrical composition; the subtlety of the sky/sea blended together with no obvious horizon allowing the modest buildings to stand out without distraction, and the restrained colour palette which contributes to the elegant simplicity of the image overall. Very pleasing.

The work of Santiago Calatrava is a favourite amongst photographers - his exciting architectural shapes and dynamic forms offer endless photo opportunities. Many of the entries in this competition featured his work, especially the iconic City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain. I liked this image in particular because of the beautiful dawn light with its subtle colours, and stillness of the water which gives a lovely natural reflection. Worth getting up early for. Bravo!

I enjoyed many of the architectural abstracts in this contest inspired by spiral staircases and windows but this one stood out for me. The composition is dynamic, drawing the eye round and up to the window focal point. The light subtly conveys the three dimensional quality of the space we are looking up into. The colour combination of black, silver, and blue greys seen against the deep red of the walls is eye-catching. Wonderful!