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“Beauty in unexpected places”: Hélène Binet looks back on her work ahead of Royal Academy retrospective

2021-10-12T11:22:00-04:00

I am very glad to see the genre of photographing architectural space being lifted to the level of portraiture and landscape photography,” Ms. Binet said. This is “not only a profession, not only a service. It’s also a form of art.

Binet’s work for the late Zaha Hadid features prominently in the show alongside 90 other select images showcasing the genius of Peter Zumthor, Le Corbusier, and others. The photographer’s recent centenary examination of Gottfried Böhm’s Cologne churches will be on view as well.

“I think to shoot is like a performance. You have to give the best of yourself,” Binet told Archinect at the opening of her solo show at Woodbury University’s WUHO Gallery 2015. The exhibition opens its three-month run on October 23rd.

Hélène Binet photographs Zaha Hadid's Pierres Vives

2019-04-04T15:20:00-04:00

Pierres Vives, one of the last projects overseen by Zaha Hadid, reflects an innovative approach to spatial design and urban planning for the town of Montpellier, France. The 28,500-square-meter stone and concrete public building was conceived as a "tree of knowledge" by the architect as early as 2002. Pierres Vives combines three government functions—archives, a library, and a sports center—to suit the needs of the growing town.

Interior of Pierres Vives. Photo by Hélène Binet

The landmark project was photographed by famed architectural photographer Hélène Binet shortly after its completion and compiled in an eponymous book, Pierres Vives, published by Rizzoli and Skira.

Cover of Pierres Vives, by Rizzoli and Skira

According to its publishers, the book "is the definitive source of images for the built structure and the construction process, and explores the architect’s design choices, allowing a deep understanding of the work and thought behind the structure."

You can get your copy ...

Elizabeth Diller wins 2019 Jane Drew Prize, Hélène Binet wins Ada Louise Huxtable Prize + Women in Architecture shortlists announced

2019-01-28T14:09:00-05:00

Today, the Architects' Journal and Architectural Review announced two influential women in the architecture industry as winning recipients in their 2019 Women in Architecture Awards program. Architect Elizabeth Diller was honored with the Jane Drew Prize, while renowned architectural photographer Hélène Binet won the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize.

The Jane Drew Prize is a lifetime achievement that recognizes an architect who, through their work, helped raise the profile of women in architecture. The Ada Louise Huxtable Prize recognizes individuals working in the wider architectural industry who have made a significant contribution to the field and the built environment.

The Broad Museum in Los Angeles by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Photo: Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

“Liz Diller is an international architectural powerhouse and a hugely deserving winner of this year’s Jane Drew Prize. From her wide range of work [...] Diller’s brave, refreshing, innovative and often cross-disciplinary approach...

Hélène Binet celebrates first U.S. exhibit at WUHO with the 2015 Julius Shulman Institute Photography Award

2015-03-03T14:14:00-05:00

The WUHO Gallery in Hollywood was abuzz on the opening night of “Hélène Binet: Fragments of Light” this past Saturday, in celebration of Binet as the 2015 recipient of the Julius Shulman Institute Excellence in Photography Award. Co-curated by JSI Managing Director Emily Bills and Binet, “Fragments of Light” is the photographer’s first U.S. exhibition featuring around 20 photos out of her vast body of work from 25 years of working in the field.

Treating light as if it were a building material, Binet’s signature style renders the buildings of architects like Peter Zumthor, Zaha Hadid, and Le Corbusier into black and white atmospheric compositions of light, shadow, and sharp details that Binet masterfully captures all through a film camera.

The crowd slowly trickled into the narrow but long gallery space, which was soon full of friends, associates, Woodbury architecture students and alumni, and photography and arts enthusiasts chattering away over light refreshments.

Notable attendees in...

The 2015 Julius Shulman Institute Photography Award goes to Hélène Binet

2015-01-22T18:25:00-05:00

Structures designed by the likes of Peter Zumthor, Zaha Hadid, and Le Corbusier are rendered into atmospheric, sharply detailed black and white compositions through the camera lens of Swiss-French analogue photographer Hélène Binet, who was recently selected as the 2015 recipient of the Julius Shulman Institute Excellence in Photography Award.

The Institute bestows the annual award to an early photographer whose work embodies the legacy of architectural photographer Julius Shulman and continues to influence the artistic medium of architectural photography. Previous recipients include Iwan Baan (2010), Richard Barnes (2011), Pedro E. Guerrero (2012), Catherine Opie (2013), and Grant Mudford (2014).

↑ Kapelle fur den heiligen Bruder Klaus 03, architecture by Peter Zumthor, 2009.

In celebration, the WUHO Gallery in Los Angeles will host the "Hélène Binet: Fragments of Light" exhibition starting with the opening reception and award presentation on February 28. Co-curated by Binet and Emily...