High key & low key - or in other words: Strong urban contrasts, defined by harsh midday sunlight and shadows. I could have photographed this architecture as everyone: Wait for the golden hour and sunset, to make everything shine beautifully. But I thought that this building deserves a different approach. The grey, harsh - almost uninviting - brutalist and minimalist front of the building had to be captured that way, to maintain its original character and to underline the strong rectangle shapes competing with soft circular shapes of the roof and sculptures in front of it. Capturing strong light beams and harsh shadows were then my obvious choice for this building. Of course, I wanted to separate myself photographically from the majority of photographs taken there.
The building itself, is the Konzerthaus (concert hall) of Freiburg. It has been built and designed by architect Dietrich Bangert was opened to the public in 1996. Since then, the building is used for concerts and performances, as well as conventions and meetings. Under the working title "Cultural Event and Conference Location" ('Kultur- und Tagungstätte,' KTS), it was one of the most controversial building projects in Freiburg since the end of World War II, due to opposing opinions between the government and the general public. Until 2016, it will serve as the headquarters of the Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra. With its multi-use great hall, it serves as a venue for a range of diverse events.
