Portspectives

Question: How did European harbour cities evolved during the last centuries and how architecture reflects the city's past?

The value of ports in the development of civilisations is immense. As engines of trade and cultural exchange, they are indicators of economic and social relevance. Because of their strategic importance, they have often been the target of hostile nations seeking to bring the country to which they belong to its knees. This has led to many phases of reconstruction, redefining urban identities, often with contradictory intentions: to celebrate a rebirth from the ashes without forgetting the city’s history.

Dramatic titanic cranes feed the hungry bellies of metal beasts day and night, while no trace of human life seems to be possible in these concrete wastelands. Elegant tiles frame the pier, next to an imposing wooden sailing ship, its mast rising into the light blue sky. The restaurants are full of laughter. The face and function of the ports can't be generalised, but only revealed by looking closely, by reading the stories written in these urban identities.

Portspectives is a series of photographs that searches for both the beauty and the beast, the unknown detail and the overlooked truth.

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• Kramer's Dream
• Peace
• Violence
• Urban Distortion
• Beyond The Blinds
• Lost Places