Koen Van Damme
Belgium

1st Place - Outstanding Achievement

"C factory"

As an architectural photographer I challenge myself on this particular level. I try to reveal the essence of each building with a profundity that transcends first-hand sight itself. That's my daily challenge. To succeed I'm producing a type of aesthetical connection solely achieved with long-lasting companionship, the one that only several visits to the same building or a long exploration allow: the recognition of geometric precision, sense of light, sophistication of architectural details, depth of field, shadow effects, architectural beauty. When these characteristics come together, as it was with this industrial building, it's time to release the shutter.

Biography: Koen Van Damme's architectural photography is intense and concentrated, involving much more than just taking pictures. Although reality cannot be captured in a photograph, Koen Van Damme reveals essential beauty by cleverly combining fragments of the whole. His publications include in Frame, P&I, Prismes Editions, Decors, A+U, Deco Magazine, Federico Motta Editore, Belgium New Architecture, Ons erfdeel, Vimadeco, Case da Abitare, Kwintessens, de Architect, Jaarboek Architectuur, A+, a.mag, Architectural Digest, Domus etc.