Image description
Taken on a dark night, this view of the paper mill in Obbola, Sweden, reveals layers of shadows, concrete, clouds and sky.
Shortlist
Hanjun Zhang
Urbanity Over the Rice Fields
Hay bales and shimmering rice paddies sit beneath the towering skyline of Qianjiang, the embrace of the city and the rush of time overshadowing the tranquil heroes of the land.
© Hanjun Zhang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
MD Tanveer Hassan Rohan
Desert Rose: The National Museum of Qatar
A striking view of the National Museum of Qatar under a clear blue sky, showcasing its desert-rose-inspired design with interlocking geometric disks and sweeping architectural forms. The French architect, Jean Nouvel, designed the National Museum for Doha, Qatar.
© MD Tanveer Hassan Rohan, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Falkmar Ameringer
Votive Church
A light show held at the Votive Church in Vienna, Austria, combining lighting and music to create an immersive, atmospheric experience.
© Falkmar Ameringer, Austria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Hui Liang
Hidden Realm
The lobby entrance to Alibaba’s China headquarters in Nanjing. The futuristic design feels as if it will transport people to another world.
© Hui Liang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Kong Zhongxiang
An Unfinished Silk Road
This image was photographed along the Silk Road in Gansu, China. This was once a vital route for trade and cultural exchange, but today, unfinished and abandoned concrete structures stand on the land, resembling ruins without historic origin.
© Kong Zhongxiang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Eng Tong Tan
V
Using the underside of a bridge to create a strong vanishing point, this photograph draws the viewer’s eye towards the horizon, where structure, water and city converge. The narrowing lines emphasise depth and scale, transforming the bridge into a visual pathway between the urban landscape and fading light.
© Eng Tong Tan, Malaysia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Ramatis Haywanon da Costa
Bell Tower
The bell tower of the Cathedral of Brasilia, Brazil. The cathedral was designed by the Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer.
© Ramatis Haywanon da Costa, Brazil, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Qingsheng Sun
Sculpture
Located in China’s Gansu Province, Boundless is a sculpture that consists of a central ‘main hall’ surrounded by four ’watchtowers.’ The structures appear and disappear in the vast Gobi Desert as the wind and ever-shifting light alter its presence, creating a true mirage.
© Qingsheng Sun, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Catherine Wang
The Bridge
Glenn Kaino’s powerful aerial sculpture, Bridge, consists of 200 golden arms hanging from the ceiling of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC, USA. Each arm is a cast of the outstretched right arm of Tommie Smith, the American winner of the men’s 200-metre race at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
© Catherine Wang, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Klaus Lenzen
The Red Facade
The entrance to a hardware store in Düsseldorf, Germany, with its eye-catching facade.
© Klaus Lenzen, Germany, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Carlo Yuen
The City’s Secret Fourth Circle
Moonrise meets Jardine House in Hong Kong, where the rising moon mirrors the building’s iconic circular rhythm. In this quiet alignment, nature and architecture echo one another, revealing a rare moment of harmony within the city’s night.
© Carlo Yuen, Hong Kong, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Utshaho Gupta
Air Control
Air conditioning units protrude from the side of a building in downtown Taipei, resembling the controls on a sound mixing desk that can be slid up and down.
© Utshaho Gupta, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards