2021 “Concrete in Life” global photography competition launches – focus on sustainability, beauty and versatility of concrete

Competition for $10,000 prize brings together professional and amateur photographers to capture images of concrete around the world – new sustainability category launched in third annual competition

(London: 23^rd August 2021) – The third annual GCCA “Concrete in Life” photography competition has today launched with a call for amateur and professional photographers from around the world to capture the role of concrete in their lives and its role in the sustainable world of tomorrow.

Concrete plays a key role in supporting society around the world. Its durability, strength, resilience and boundless versatility means it can be used for nearly any application, while its properties such as thermal mass, recyclability and carbon uptake make it the most sustainable building material.

Judges include Isabel Allen, Editor at Architecture Today, Gian Luca Barone from Zaha Hadid Architects and experts from the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA). They will be looking for entries showing concrete contributing to their individual lives and wider society, and notably sustainable buildings and infrastructure, to inspire the public in the run up to COP26, as the GCCA prepares to announce its detailed roadmap to zero carbon concrete.  

Contestants are invited to capture imagery in the following categories, which include a brand new Sustainable Concrete category:

• Urban design and use – images of the city landscapes and buildings around us, both well-known and hidden away
• Infrastructure – photographs of our infrastructure, in our cities and rural, above and below ground
• Concrete in daily life – the human side of concrete and how it’s used and interacted with daily
• Sustainable Concrete – how concrete is used in sustainable construction, buildings and infrastructure such as wind farms, dams, green overpasses, wildlife crossings, green buildings

The competition crown one winner for the professional and amateur brackets of each category as well as one overall winner for the “Best Concrete in Life” photo of the year from the eight finalists. Each category winner will receive $2,500 in prize money, while the overall winner will receive $10,000.

Thomas Guillot, GCCA Chief Executive, said: “Being the world’s most used human-made product, concrete provides the foundation for so many lives. The competition is designed to capture that importance and demonstrate its versatility throughout society. Entries to the first two ‘Concrete in Life’ competitions from both professionals and amateurs were exceptional and managed to capture concrete’s strength, durability and resilience, and we’re so excited to be launching the third annual competition. We look forward to receiving a wide array of unique and inspiring entries from all over the world.”

The annual competition by the GCCA attracts tens of thousands of entries from professional and amateur photographers and challenges participants to capture photos that highlight the beauty of concrete and the vital role it plays in our society.

To enter the competition, participants should post a picture that they’ve taken on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtags #ConcreteInLife2021, #UrbanConcrete, #ConcreteInfrastructure, #ConcreteInDailyLife, and #SustainableConcrete. They should also tag the GCCA – @the.gcca on Instagram or @theGCCA on Twitter.

Winners will also be invited to speak about their images with the GCCA, with their images shared on GCCA’s website and social media channels.

Judging the entries are:

• Gian Luca Barone, Senior Associate, Zaha Hadid Architects
• John Fairley, Design Director, Curious Productions
• Thomas Guillot, GCCA Chief Executive
• Isabel Allen, Editor, Architecture Today

The competition will run until October 22^nd 2021, with the winners announced during January 2022. Full competition details can be found at https://gccassociation.org/concreteinlife2021/   

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Notes to editors:

The 2020 competition received over 10,000 entries. Last year’s winner was Nurlan Tahirli, who took an image of Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan. The full winners’ list and images can be found here: https://gccassociation.org/concrete-in-life-2020/

About the GCCA:

Launched in January 2018, the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) is dedicated to developing and strengthening the sector’s contribution to sustainable construction. The GCCA aims to foster innovation throughout the construction value chain in collaboration with industry associations as well as architects, engineers, and innovators. In this way, the association demonstrates how concrete solutions can meet global construction challenges and sustainable development goals while showcasing responsible industrial leadership in the manufacture and use of cement and concrete. The GCCA is headquartered in London, England. It complements and supports the work done by associations at the national and regional levels.