Architecture in Photography

The course reflects on the role of photography as a tool for the documentation, promotion and aestheticisation of the architectural work. Starting from early 19th-century views, we will study the documentary campaigns of the Fratelli Alinari, who sought to create an inventory of the architectural heritage in order to promote its study and conservation. The point of arrival will be the analysis of the work of a number of specialist photographers (Lucia Moholy, Julius Shulman), architect-photographers (Erich Mendelsohn) and distinguished contemporary photographers (Guido Guidi, Hélène Binet, Hiroshi Sugimoto). How does the architectural space translate into the two-dimensional medium of photography? Particular attention is devoted to analysis of the rendering of the interplay of light and shade on the exterior and interior of the architectural structure.