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Architecture & Design 3rd Place
In Memoriam: Muralla Roja by Ricardo Bofill
Andres Gallardo Albajar
Series description
Designed by Ricardo Bofill, the Muralla Roja apartment complex is one of the most iconic pieces of Spanish architecture. Over the years I have revisited this place to photograph it again and again. On my last visit, in December 2021, my goal was to create a totally different series by capturing the Muralla Roja during the day, at sunset, at night and at sunrise. I started shooting very early in the morning and continued well into the night. I then woke early to experience an unforgettable sunrise. Sadly, Bofill passed away just a few weeks after my visit, so I consider this series to be a personal tribute to him and his legacy.
Biography
Andrés Gallardo Albajar is a self taught amateur photographer with a special interest on urban and architecture photography. He got his first camera in 2012 as a gift from his mother and his brother and photography has been his main passion ever since.
Muralla Roja
Winter is my favourite season to visit Muralla Roja, as there is the opportunity to capture long, sharp shadows. On this occasion I had the perfect conditions to achieve the very graphic images I wanted.
© Andres Gallardo Albajar, Spain, 3rd Place, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Muralla Roja
Muralla Roja feels like a labyrinth in which one can become lost, even after several visits. I can’t tell you how many stairs there are in Muralla Roja, but after hours of shooting I was woken up by cramps in the night.
© Andres Gallardo Albajar, Spain, 3rd Place, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Muralla Roja
This photograph of an architectural detail was taken at the right time; I couldn't have hoped for a better shadow to add depth to the scene.
© Andres Gallardo Albajar, Spain, 3rd Place, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Muralla Roja
After a few hours of shooting, it felt like this was the best spot to take a break, so I found a chair and brought it over. The moment I placed the chair I knew this would be a great photograph. Sadly, Ricardo Bofill passed away just a few weeks after I made this image, and so this empty chair acquired a lot of symbolism.
© Andres Gallardo Albajar, Spain, 3rd Place, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Muralla Roja
As sunset transitioned to night, it was time for me to get acquainted with Muralla Roja's artificial lighting. Once I understood how the lights worked it was time to get creative; that was the reason for my visit. Like the other night photographs in the series, this is a long exposure shot.
© Andres Gallardo Albajar, Spain, 3rd Place, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Muralla Roja
One of the most interesting aspects of visiting Muralla Roja at night was noticing locations and angles that would otherwise go unnoticed. The different lighting conditions gave this corner a whole new appeal.
© Andres Gallardo Albajar, Spain, 3rd Place, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Muralla Roja
As the sun was coming out and the day was taking over, I started to feel that my visit was coming to an end, but I was running high on excitement and everywhere I looked I found interesting new photographs.
© Andres Gallardo Albajar, Spain, 3rd Place, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards