Collection: Contemporanea

edition 1/5 plus 1 PA total of all sizes

Over the last few years I have photographed some of the most important contemporary buildings in major European cities, most of them built within the last decade.

Before each trip, I methodically research my subjects and have recently come to the conclusion that many of these buildings have two key aspects in common.

The first is their very prominence; the emphasis they place on aesthetic impact. It is clear that they are products of contemporary society, and also that even the more complicated structures were designed with their exteriority in mind. This is not to say, however, that they are not also fully functional buildings.

The second aspect was the uniformity of planning and form. Structures from different countries featured the same ideas and styles which are often far removed from local traditions; so much so that it can be difficult to place a building in a specific country if you do not know the location beforehand. It is as though the European Union, having struggled to achieve political and social unity, has somehow succeeded on an architectural level.

For this project I focused on these themes, emphasizing my subjects’ common aesthetic components, working with lines, materials and reflections and playing with perspectives. I sought pureness of form to create a context that is truly representative of our age.