World's best architecture photography brought into sharp focus

November 22, 2016

First place for the 2016 Arcaid Images Architectural Photography Award was given to Matt Emmet for his photograph of Finsbury Park's Covered Reservoir

Matt Emmett

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First place for the 2016 Arcaid Images Architectural Photography Award was given to Matt Emmet for his photograph of Finsbury Park's Covered Reservoir

Matt Emmett

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This overhead photo of the Allianz Headquarters, in Zurich, Switzerland, by Wiel Arets Architects, was taken by Adrien Barakat

Adrien Barakat

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This photo, by Julien Lanoo, shows someone sleeping in Ghana's Independence Square (A.K.A. Black Star Square). The arena hosts the country's Independence Day celebrations and other important events

Julien Lanoo

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Sou Fujimoto Architects' atmospheric Forest of Light installation for Milan's Salone del Mobile is captured here by Laurian Ghinitoiu

Laurian Ghinitoiu

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Torsten Andreas Hoffmann captured this evocative image of Dharavi, Mumbai, India. Featuring prominently in the 2008 movie Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle, the area is estimated to be home to up to 1 million people

Torsten Andreas Hoffmann

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The abstract deconstructivist cloud of stainless steel and glass that is Coop Himmelb(l)au's Musee de Confluences, in Lyon, France is captured here by Fabrice Fouillet

Fabrice Fouillet

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This photo of Gensler's Shanghai Tower by Nick Almasy highlights the intricacy of the building's facade

Nick Almasy

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Herzog & de Meuron's Vitra Shaudepot, Weil am Rhein design museum is photographed here by Julien Lanoo

Julien Lanoo

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This shot by Sebastian Weiss shows the tower in Finland's Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. The building was designed by Yrjo Lindegren and Toivo Jantti and hosted the 1952 Summer Olympics

Sebastian Weiss

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Edmund Sumner's photograph of sP+A Architects' Lattice House, in Kashmir, India, shows the home in its context

Edmund Sumner

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Nowhere does Brutalism quite like Brazil, and Lina Bo Bardi's wonderful SESC Pompeia in São Paulo is captured here by Inigo Bujedo Aguirre

Inigo Bujedo Aguirre

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Rafael Moneo's Jesus Church in San Sebastián, Spain, is photographed here by Fabrice Fouillet

Fabrice Fouillet

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This photo by Will Scott shows the Finkernagel Ross Architects' Helical Staircase being constructed in Workshop, Littlehampton, United Kingdom

Will Scott

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This heavily processed shot by James Newton shows visitors at Selgascano's Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London, United Kingdom

James Newton

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Kilian O’Sullivan reminds us of Martin Parr with this interior and portrait work of a Derry Road resident on the Queen’s Birthday. The home is designed by Bell Phillips Architects

Kilian O’Sullivan

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Mark Wohlrab photographs the Bruder Klaus Field Chapel in Mechernich-Wachendorf, Germany. Designed by Peter Zumthor, it's a stunning chapel marked by its simplicity

Mark Wohlrab

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This photograph by Julien Lanoo shows locals in Ghana working to erect the stage for Haduwa Arts & Culture Institute, by [a]FA [applied] foreign affairs

Julien Lanoo

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Blok 23, Novi Beograd, Belgrade, Serbia. The planned city, built by Aleksandar Stjepanovic in the Soviet era, looks tired and neglected in this picture by Inigo Bujedo Aguirre

Inigo Bujedo Aguirre

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This photo, by Paul Turang, is of the Hygge House Warming Hut, in Winnipeg, Canada. Named after the difficult-to-define Danish and Norwegian custom centered around getting cosy, the Hygge House Warming Hut offers a welcome and warm refuge in the cold Canadian winter

Paul Turang

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This aerial shot of ROSSETTI's Baku National Stadium in Azerbaijan, by Victor Romero shows off another example of the city's wonderful architecture

Victor Romero

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Since we can't possibly travel to every new building that gets built worldwide, photography plays a crucial role in how we view, appraise, and understand the built world. With this in mind, architectural photography resource Arcaid Images has revealed its pick of the best new architecture photos from around the globe at this year's World Architecture Festival.

In an era of smartphones enabling many people to carry a digital camera in their pocket and snap photos of buildings, the Arcaid Images Architectural Photography Award was created to highlight the skill and worth of professional architectural photographers.

This year's first prize of US$3,000 was awarded to Matt Emmet for his photograph (pictured above) of Finsbury Park's Covered Reservoir, which was designed and built by East London Waterworks in 1868 in London.

The photo is the first historical winner since the awards began in 2012 and was likened to a Piranesi print. It was selected from a field of 20 shortlisted entries, which can all be seen in the gallery. Below are a few runners up that caught our eye.

Shanghai Tower – Nick Almasy

This photo of the Shanghai Tower was taken by Nick Almasy. Showing the twisting building disappearing into Shanghai's clouds, the shot highlights the intricacy of the Gensler-designed facade.

Hygge House Warming Hut – Paul Turang

This photo is of the Hygge House Warming Hut, in Winnipeg, Canada. Named after the difficult-to-define Danish and Norwegian custom centered around getting cosy, the Hygge House Warming Hut offers a welcome and warm refuge in the cold Canadian winter.

Dharavi, Mumbai – Torsten Andreas Hoffmann

Torsten Andreas Hoffmann captured this image of Dharavi, Mumbai, India. Featured prominently in the 2008 movie Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle, and considered one of the world's largest slums, the area is estimated to house up to 1 million people.

Allianz Headquarters – Adrien Barakat

This overhead photo of the Allianz Headquarters, in Zurich, Switzerland, by Wiel Arets Architects, was taken by Adrien Barakat. The building features a glazed facade that resembles marble.

All 20 of the 2016 Arcaid Images Architectural Photography Award shortlisted photos will feature in the Building Images exhibition at Sto Werkstaff, London, in February 2017 and the Architektur Galerie in Berlin, March, 2017.

Sources: Arcaid Awards, WAF

View gallery - 20 images