Paul Ott is one of the most prominent modern European architectural photographers. His documentations of contemporary architecture have been published in numerous international books and journals. Yet Ott’s images always convey more than the pure physiognomy of the buildings he photographs. In free photo series, he explores the structures that influence how we perceive our surroundings at least as much as does the architects’ skill: anonymous agricultural buildings, skyscrapers and their fates, and the dramatic backdrops provided by mega-cities like Sao Paolo. This book offers a representative cross-section of Paul Ott’s photographic oeuvre and also makes readers aware that the shaping of our surroundings is to a great extent also based on “learned,” mediated images of and in architecture. Four essays examine his work from the perspectives of art theory and architecture.

Paul Ott is one of the most prominent modern European architectural photographers. His documentations of contemporary architecture have been published in numerous international books and journals. Yet Ott’s images always convey more than the pure physiognomy of the buildings he photographs. In free photo series, he explores the structures that influence how we perceive our surroundings at least as much as does the architects’ skill: anonymous agricultural buildings, skyscrapers and their fates, and the dramatic backdrops provided by mega-cities like Sao Paolo. This book offers a representative cross-section of Paul Ott’s photographic oeuvre and also makes readers aware that the shaping of our surroundings is to a great extent also based on “learned,” mediated images of and in architecture. Four essays examine his work from the perspectives of art theory and architecture.