Winners in popular photo competition announced at opening of major new exhibition, showcasing essential role and beauty of concrete around the world

A striking image of a boy flying a kite playing on the steps of the Teopanzolco Cultural Center in Mexico, has been named Concrete in Life Photo of the Year. It was selected from a record 21,000 entries to the annual global competition, run by the GCCA, which highlights the beauty and essential role that concrete plays around the world.

The image, which wins a top prize of $10,000 (ten thousand US dollars) was taken by Saeed Rezvanian, at the triangular concrete building in Cuernavaca, which was architecturally designed to pay tribute to nearby Aztec pyramid-shaped ruined temples.

Saeed’s photo was announced as this year’s winner, at the opening of a free new exhibition, to mark five years of the competition. More than 100 outstanding images are now on display to the public, at the Brunswick Art Gallery in London, itself a famous concrete building.

Thomas Guillot, GCCA Chief Executive who helped to judge this year’s competition said: “Many congratulations to Saeed Rezvanian, and all this year’s winners. Their outstanding images highlight how concrete is so many things – strong and enduring, but also touching and beautiful, supporting our many lives across the planet. And now, with the public exhibition to mark five years of the competition, we hope as many people as possible get the chance to see for themselves just how impressive the images are.”

Saeed Rezvanian, whose overall winning photo of the Teopanzolco Cultural Center in Mexico said: “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.”

Entries were submitted from every continent and included breath-taking images of skyscrapers and the modern urban world, as well as key infrastructure such as sea defences, dams and piers, irrigation channels, bridges, roads and walkways. Photos also show more intimate human interaction in rice fields, sports centres, places of worship, playgrounds and skateparks, communities and homes, as well as striking architecturally designed spaces, and much more. 

Chris George, Content Director at Digital Camera World, who also judged this year’s competition said Saeed Rezvanian’s winning photo was “a beautifully framed image, with subtle use of black and white that enchants the viewer.” 

Fellow judge PaulMakovsky, who is Editor in Chief of Architect Magazine said it showed “a truly dramatic effect and energy against the solidity and reassurance of the concrete.”

This year, a special people’s vote prize chosen by the public, was also introduced for the first time, to mark five years of the competition. The $5,000 USD prize was won by Muhammad Nurudin, for his image of the Mandara Toll Road in Bali.

Four other category winners were also announced, each receiving a prize of $2,500 USD. Owen Davies was named category winner in the urban concrete section, for his photo of the Armstrong Rubber Building in New Haven, Connecticut, in the USA. 

Andre Hidayat Arrasuli won the Concrete Infrastructure category for an image of the New Priok Container Terminal in Indonesia. Alexander Arregui Leszczynska, won the Concrete Beauty and Design section for his image of the Maurerhalle a lecture hall and multifunctional space in Basel, Switzerland. And A.P. Hari Wibowo was named category winner for their photo of the Aquatic Stadium Gelora Bung Karno, also in Jakarta.

All the winners and shortlisted pictures as well as an online version of the gallery can be viewed at https://gccassociation.org/concreteinlife2023/

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