Images I Best concrete photos of the year

Urban Concrete winner - Anvar Sadath TA. Image: GCCA

The winning image is of a skateboarder at Venice Beach, California, US that was selected from more than 20,000 entries and wins a top prize of US$10,000.

The photo was taken by Henrik Hagerup, at Venice Beach Skatepark – the park’s concrete bowls were inspired by LA’s abandoned swimming pool skating scene of the 1970s.

Thomas Guillot, GCCA Chief Executive, said of the winners, “Their stunning images highlight concrete’s positive impact on our lives right across the planet. Whether it’s the vital infrastructure such a bridges, railways and roads that we travel along or the homes, offices and schools we inhabit, concrete is a truly versatile material.

“Our competition gives anyone with a smartphone as well as professional photographers, the chance to show just how essential concrete is to our lives, as well as how beautiful it can be.”

Entries were submitted from every continent and included images of skyscrapers and the modern urban world, as well as key infrastructure such as transport networks, including railways, bridges and roads, and other important structures such as sea defences and dams.

The Concrete Beauty and Design winner was Artemio Layno. Image: GCCA

The photos also show more intimate human interactions in villages and playgrounds, as well as exquisitely designed architecture and much more.

As well as the overall winner, four other category winners were also announced, each receiving a prize of $2,500. Anvar Sadath TA was named category winner in the Urban Concrete category, for his photo called ‘Urban Flow’ set in Dubai, UAE, which includes the iconic Burj Khalifa.

A photo of a Washinton, D.C. subway station by Wentao Guo called ‘Structure as Aesthetics’ won the Concrete Infrastructure category. Wellington Kuswanto won the Concrete in Daily Life category for his picture of Bedok Jetty, Singapore.

The Beauty and Design category was won by Artemio Layno for their photo ‘Broken Building’ set in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The People’s Vote prize, chosen by the public with a $5,000 prize, was won by Mohamed Rafi for his picture ‘Fluttering Through Life’ set in Pondicherry, India.

The GCCA and its members account for 80% of global cement production capacity outside of China, as well as a growing number of Chinese manufacturers.

Member companies have committed to reducing and ultimately eliminating CO2 emissions in concrete, which currently account for around 7% globally, through implementation of the GCCA’s Concrete Future 2050 Net Zero Roadmap.