Architectural Photography Awards 2022 Shortlist Announced

Written Jackie Palumbo, CNN

The best architectural photographs of the year were showcased, highlighting the beauty of sleek geometry, abstract silhouettes and industrial textures from around the world.

On Wednesday, the Architectural Photography Awards 2022 announced more than 20 finalists in categories including interiors, exteriors and used buildings. All shortlisted works will be featured at the upcoming World Architecture Festival in Lisbon, Portugal.

The photographs include an atmospheric scene inside the meditative Open Architecture building. Chapel of Sound, in the Chinese province of Hebei; artistic high-contrast image of a glass floor in Tokyo, Japan; and hazy view of a moss-covered animal shed near Bruges, Belgium.
Photographers from 64 countries entered the competition this year, up from 42 last year, according to a press statement. The jury consisted of Vicki Richardson, head of architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts, and architect Patrick Schumacher, director the late Zaha Hadid solid.

According to a press release, entries were judged on “composition, use of scale, and photographers’ sensitivity to atmosphere.”

Paul Finch, program director for the World Architecture Festival (WAF), said in a statement that “now that ‘everyone is a photographer’, the importance of good architectural photography has increased.” The award, now 10 years old, is “an annual reminder of how architectural photography can improve our understanding of design, and not just record what is,” he added.

Last year, photographer Liu Xinghao was named the overall winner for his image of people enjoying their time in front of Raffles City by Safdie Architects in Chongqing, China. Category winners included photographs of the Getty Gardens in Los Angeles and scenes at Jiaxing Station in China’s Zhejiang province.

The winners of this year’s competition will be announced in December at the World Architecture Festival.

Scroll through the gallery above to see photos from the 2022 shortlist.