Modern Architecture in Poblenou: Barcelona’s Sleek and Brutal Facades

I shot these images for a story about Barcelona’s modern architecture, focusing on how the inclusion of traditional elements like balconies has largely disappeared. Today, the facades of most buildings are sleek, minimalist, and, at times, downright brutal. The editor requested shots that captured buildings looking “knife-like and stabbing at the sky,” which was a thrilling challenge.

Shooting Modern Architecture Under the Midday Sun

Getting the right shots was relatively easy. As with many architectural photography projects, the midday sun worked to my advantage here. The sharp reflections from the glass and steel structures allowed the shadows to stay lit, adding an almost ethereal glow to the edges of the buildings. The natural penumbra, or soft transition of light in the sky, created a natural vignette that gave the buildings a dramatic, almost sculptural quality.

The Surprise of Balconies

What surprised me most during this shoot was the discovery that, despite the editor’s instructions, balconies are not entirely absent from modern Barcelona architecture. In fact, many of the buildings did include them. The real challenge came in finding the right buildings—those that perfectly embodied the sleek, brutalist aesthetic with just the right angle and reflection. That turned out to be much trickier than expected!