The Library And Learning Center – WU
The Library And Learning Center at Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien abbreviated as WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business ) is an amazing building. The building is the heart of the university both by its location in the center of the campus but more so by its size and dramatic design. This is saying a lot as the entire campus has unique buildings each with it’s own wonderful design.
In architectural photography getting the vertical and horizontal element true is a big deal. This building challenges you in this regard since there don’t appear to be an abundance of truly vertical or horizontal elements. This is true for both the exterior and interior. But rest assured, the important elements, e.g., the floors, are level.
As I mentioned in a previous post, since I was traveling light I didn’t have my tripod or tilt-shift lens. This made dealing with all of these angles and shapes a bit more challenging. However, knowing I’d have to adjust for this using transform tools during post-processing, I made allowance for this when composing my shots.
I could have spent days exploring the WU campus. Given all the shapes, lines and curves I would have loved to have seen how things change under different lighting conditions. Unfortunately, this wasn’t primarily a photo trip, so I had to make do with my limited time of only about an hour to get my shots.
The Exterior Shots
I found the design of the library very eye catching. The first thing that you notice is the large section cantilevered at an angle over the lower section. Its most notable feature is the large monitor window which floods the interior with light. The top section is dark in color contrasting with the lower light colored section with its front façade tilted at an angle. Long sweeping segments along the façade draw your eye across the building.
With such a striking building, interesting architectural abstracts are compelling prospects. The reflection of a man walking by is captured in an architectural abstract below.
Well done architecture takes into account the surrounding environment. The building and surroundings must complement and support each other. I think that is the case of the library and all the other buildings.
The Interior Shots
The entrance hall of the library is known as the Forum. The Forum is just as impressive as the buildings exterior. It rises 4 stories and is filled with sweeping lines, shapes and light.
Even the ceiling of the Forum is filled with interesting lines and shapes that make for wonderful abstract shots.
The Rest Of The Campus
I mentioned earlier that the entire WU campus was collection of unique and beautiful architecture. The Library isn’t the only building worth shooting although it may be the most photogenic. Stay tuned for a future post where I will post photos of some of the other buildings.
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