Vom Nutzen der Architekturfotografie / Architectural Photography and its Uses

Photography and architecture have a long and intense relationship – and both are accompanied by debates about how, as disciplines, they hover somewhere between service and art form. The book examines how photos are used to digitally reproduce, inform about, and archive buildings. Moreover, it is dedicated to the concept of the use of a building being the visual content of architectural photography, and also questions how the photograph influences the constructed reality.

What is the status of architectural photography today? For one, photographs provide mass media exposure for the buildings; however, the photographers' own attitude, interests, and style result in highly individual images of the built reality. They tell their own stories of the building, decide whether to capture it occupied or not, dynamic or naturalistic, with or without context, as a new building or in use. How does this photographic perspective affect the way in which buildings and their architects are perceived? Many architects collaborate for long periods of time with specific photographers. How much do photographs influence the actual design? Which photos serve to publicize the building, which lend a new perspective?

In today's flood of images, where there is almost no difference between photographs and renderings, this publication refreshingly brings architectural photography to the fore while allowing a peek behind the scenes. In eight richly illustrated chapters, the relationship between architecture and photography is subjected to a changing view. The different positions enter into a fascinating dialog. Insights and visual beauty go hand in hand.

With essays by: Angelika Fitz, Elke Krasny, Gabriele Lenz, and Philipp Ursprung
With photographs by Markus Bstieler, Peter Eder, Gisela Erlacher, Pez Hejduk, Eduard Hueber, Hertha Hurnaus, Markus Kaiser, Angelo Kaunat, Bruno Klomfar, Alexander Eugen Koller, Zita Oberwalder, Pia Odorizzi, Stefan Olah, Paul Ott, Lukas Schaller, Manfred Seidl, Margherita Spiluttini, Rupert Steiner, Dietmar Tollerian, Günter Wett

• Architectural photography used for architectural culture
• Insights into the archives of internationally active architectural photographers
• Joint analysis of photographers, architects, and architecture intermediaries

Angelika Fitz, Autorin, Kuratorin; Gabriele Lenz, office lenz+, Vienna; head of Buchgestaltung at new design university

"Das als praktische Handlungsanweisung für die Beauftragung von Architekturfotografie gedachte Buch leistet [...] weit mehr und rückt zahlreiche im Normalfall unsichtbare Aspekte ins Bild."
Roland Züger in: Werk, Bauen + Wohnen 2017, Nr. 5

"Gerade in Zeiten der Bilderflut, in der sich Fotos und Renderings scheinbar kaum mehr unterscheiden lassen, holt die Publikation den Beitrag der Architekturfotografie vor den Vorhang und ermöglicht gleichzeitig einen Blick hinter die Kulissen."
In: CUBE 1/2016

"Ein Standardwerk zur Architekturfotografie wollten die Protagonistinnen vorlegen – das ist ihnen gelungen. Den Schau-und Lesegenuss erhöht, dass sie nicht auf einer technoid-didaktischen Ebene blieben, sondern ein hochgradig sinnliches Werk zustande brachten."
Franziska Leeb in: Die Presse, 14. November 2015