You could help choose the winner of the Art of Building photography competition, showcasing the best images of the built environment. Launched in 2010 by the Chartered Institute of Building, the competition is open to both professional and amateur photographers. This year's competition attracted thousands of entries, and the judges have narrowed it down to a shortlist of 12 images. Now it's up to the public to choose the winner of the £3,500 cash prize.
IBTimes UK presents the 12 finalists, including a bell tower that looks like an eye, an atmospheric French theatre, an intricate atrium, and a splash of colour from Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. You can vote for your favourite at the Art of Building website.
Mehmet Yasa: Eye of the Tower, Verona, Italy. 'The staircase and the bell look like an eye. Architecture can fascinate us in many ways.'Mehmet YasaHans Wichmann: Bicycle Rider, Aviles, Spain. 'The Cultural Centre of Aviles in northern Spain, a successful integration of modern buildings in an old industrial site by architect Oscar Niemeyer.'Hans WichmannLinda van Slobbe: The Showstopper, Bar-le-Duc, France. 'This historic theatre is built in a typical oval shape that has the stage on one end and multiple floors and balconies all around the rest, with beautiful decorations.'Linda van SlobbeHossein Younesi: From the Carpet to the Throne, Iran. 'Architecture designed to reflect the connection between earthly and spiritual realms.'Hossein YounesiGautam Kamat Bambolkar: Man-Made Cave, New York, USA. Rugged textured cable pipes ran over my head at a train station in New York, creating a trance-like, frightful pattern. They ran from the edge of the entrance to an infinite end. It looked nothing less than a scary man-made cave.'Gautam Kamat BambolkarDmytro Levchuk: Geometric Concept, Dubai, UAE. 'New architectural concept forms in modern residential building. A sky view through floors from lobby.'Dmytro LevchukAndrean Hadhianto Kwee: The majestic St. Andrew’s Cathedral Tower, Singapore. 'A Neo-Gothic style building completed in 1861, replacing an unpopular neoclassical cathedral built just 20 years earlier.'Andrean Hadhianto KweeGuo Ji Hua: Cross Bridge Waltz, Guangdong, China. 'A drone captures an abstract line of beauty in an intersection.Guo Ji HuaPetr Starov: Cemetery of the 21st Century, Ryazan, Russia. 'This image was shot in summer 2010 and it shows the suspended construction of a shopping centre.'Petr StarovRobert Cassway: Abandoned School in Fresno, Montana, USA. 'This photo shows the ravages of time and weather on a building that was left to decay by benign neglect, after the families that lived in Fresno moved away.'Robert CasswayFrancis Meslet: Bones, France. 'This picture was taken in a well-known French memorial for the centenary of the First World War. You can see the other side of this memorial looking up over your head. Another point of view.'Francis MesletHanqing Qu: Inception, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 'This picture was taken at Malaysia's National Mosque. When the sun light filters into this building, light and shade blend each other into a dream-like scene. It reminds me of the movie Inception.'Hanqing Qu
This year's competition attracted thousands of entries, with more than 70% coming from outside of the UK. CIOB competition organiser Saul Townsend said: "The breadth of photography we see is amazing. From those who are revealing a little known building to those showcasing a familiar icon in a new light. Best of luck to all our finalists." Public voting is now open on www.artofbuilding.org until 8 January 2018.
