Welcome to the GCCA’s 5th annual Concrete in Life photography competition
+++ 2023 WINNERS ANNOUNCED +++
As one of the most widely used human-made products on the planet, concrete is all around us: in our houses and offices; our roads and pavements; in the bridges that connect us; the wind farms that provide us with energy; and the sea barriers that protect us. As the sustainable building material of choice, it provides safe, durable and resilient structures as well as providing the basis for renewable energy infrastructure.
Concrete in Life is our annual photography competition, open to all photographers (or anyone with a camera phone) around the world. It tasks you to take photos of concrete in your life for a chance to win up to $10,000.
Over 21,000 people entered our 2023 competition, and after the judging rounds and people’s vote, we are delighted to reveal our winners. The winners were announced at a special exhibition at the Brunswick Gallery in London, UK, which commemorated 5 year’s of Concrete in Life competition.
Our exhibition is now open until 13 April so if you are in London, do go check it out at the Brunswick Art Gallery.
Congratulations to our winners and to everyone that was shortlisted. You can see their pictures and the shortlist below.
2023 Concrete in Life Winners
OVERAL WINNER
Saeed Rezvanian
Teopanzolco Cultural Center, Mexico
“The Teopanzolco Cultural Center is a triangular concrete building, which adjoins an archaeological site with Aztec ruins. The designers have used triangular geometries that allude to the pyramid-shaped temples. This amazing building has won many prestigious awards for its innovative architecture and use of materials. The roof of building comprises a large stepped concrete ramp and some boys are running and playing on these steps. “My photo shows how concrete develops both artistic and functional environments in our lives. I was captivated by the children playing amongst the beautiful structures. It’s a great honour to win the Concrete in Life 2023 competition.”
URBAN CONCRETE WINNER
Owen Davies
Armstrong Rubber Building, USA
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be chosen as one of the winners of the Concrete in Life 2023 competition. I was inspired to make this image of the old Armstrong Rubber Building in New Haven, Connecticut after passing it several times driving along I95. The striking geometry and sheer mass of the building drew me to it initially and the bright summer light really accentuated the texture of the wonderfully sculpted concrete facade. It’s one of my favourite images and to have the judges at GCCA select it as the category winner is a huge honour. Thank you so much!”
CONCRETE INFRASTRUCTURE WINNER
Andre Hidayat Arrasuli (@andremunay)
New Priok Container Terminal, Indonesia
“I took this photo on the north coast of Indonesia. New Priok Container Terminal is one of the important ports supporting economic activities. I was interested in capturing this when I saw the composition and beauty of this harbour at night. Once again, Thank you, It is my pleasure to be one of the category winners in this competition.”
CONCRETE IN DAILY LIFE WINNER
Hari Wibowo (@mantulphoto)
Aquatic Stadium Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta
“I am really proud that my photograph has been announced as a winner of Concrete in Life 2023. The photo shows the scene at the Aquatic Stadium Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta, and paints a vivid picture. The combination of the athletes warming up for the platform diving competition, the architecture of the stadium, the vibrant colours, and the interplay of light and shadow must indeed create a captivating and harmonious scene. It’s fantastic that I was able to capture this beauty through my camera lens.”
CONCRETE BEAUTY AND DESIGN WINNER
Alexander Arregui Leszczynska (@archibatch)
The Maurerhalle, Switzerland
“I’m very excited to be a winner of the Concrete in Life 2023 and I congratulate the colleagues that made it here too! This monumental origami-like concrete structure, in which the facade and the roof are unified through the same sheet, brought back vivid memories of my architecture studies, when we explored the structural strength of folded paper as a method of creation. Visited during the Open House Basel event, the Maurerhalle remains to me a highlight and a timeless architectural gem in the city, where sculpture and structure, art and science, merge harmoniously.”
PEOPLE’S VOTE WINNER
Muhammad Nurudin (@andukmerah)
The Bali Mandara Toll Road, Bali
“The Bali Mandara Toll Road connects the city of Denpasar, Ngurah Rai International Airport, and Nusa Dua in Bali. In addition to speeding up travel time from the airport and the city of Denpasar to Nusa Dua, the road is a solution to overcome congestion that occurs during the holiday season. Under the toll ring road there are several plots of land planted with mangroves. Farmers routinely take care of them. It is a great honour to be one of the winners of the Concrete in Life 2023 photography competition and tell how concrete is an excellent link between people in my country.”
The Shortlist
Prizes
Total prizes:
- Overall winner – $10,000
- Urban Concrete – $2,500
- Concrete Infrastructure – $2,500
- Concrete in Daily Life – $2,500
- Concrete Beauty and Design – $2,500
- People’s Choice – $5,000
2023 Categories (4 Total)
Urban design and use
#UrbanConcrete – images of the city landscapes and buildings around us, both well-known and hidden away
Concrete Infrastructure
#ConcreteInfrastructure – photographs of our infrastructure, in our cities and rural, above and below ground.
Concrete in Daily Life
#ConcreteInDailyLife – the human side of concrete and how it’s used and interacted with daily.
Beauty and Design
#ConcreteBeautyAndDesign – showcasing beautiful uses concrete in the world around us – such as stunningly designed buildings, sculptures or landmarks.
The Judges
Thomas Guillot
Chief Executive, GCCA
“Concrete is a highly versatile material, offering the potential for beautiful design, as well as durability and strength. In our busy, modern world, we don’t always appreciate it, but if we didn’t have it, we’d certainly notice. Our Concrete in Life Competition gives every community across the globe a chance to show just how essential concrete is to our lives.”
Chris George
Content Director at Digital Camera World
“Concrete is all around us and has a beauty that might not always be obvious to some people. The Concrete in Life global photography competition continues to prove it is possible to take stunning shots of architecture and the manmade environment that show off the beauty of this universal building material.”
Paul Makovsky
Editor in Chief, ARCHITECT Magazine
“Concrete is one of the oldest construction materials, dating back thousands of year, and whose composition and applications continue to evolve and improve.
The Concrete in Life global photography competition shows us that great examples of how this strong, versatile, and durable material is used in architecture and infrastructure in beautiful and inspirational ways.”