Christmas in Fish Skeleton takes top spot in Art of Building photography competition

Yi Cherne Juang an amateur photographer from Taiwan has scooped this year’s Art of Building Photographer of the Year title, a competition run by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). Hundreds of people worldwide showed their support by voting for his photograph ‘Christmas in Fish Skeleton’, which revealed the stunning interior of the Westfield World Trade Center in New York.

As well as the prestigious title Art of Building Photographer of the Year, Yi Cherne’s image has also earned him a cash prize of £3500.

Speaking about his victory Yi Cherne said: "I would like to thank the organisers for providing this platform for photographers, and to thank the architects and builders for constructing such fascinating architecture. It let me see the aesthetic space of this building and its distinct expression through the lense."

Thousands of votes were cast to determine the overall outcome, reflecting the continuing worldwide interest in the CIOB contest whose brief is to encourage people to explore and discover the ‘art’ of building as well as celebrate creativity in the construction industry. The twelve finalists hailed from all over the world, including Canada, Germany, Italy, Iran, Russia, and the UK.

Commenting on the winning photo, Saul Townsend, a judge of the competition, said: “What makes this shot even more astounding is that it was taken with an iPhone 7. The photograph really does make you feel like you’re spending Christmas inside a fish skeleton. This single shot has cleverly captured the scale and elegance of Manhattan’s largest shopping mall and made it feel magical.”

For more details about the competition and to view the finalists, log on to www.artofbuilding.org.

The competition can also be found on Instagram at www.instagram.com/ciobartofbuilding.