ABOUT:
I’m a photographer based in Hong Kong who specialises in architecture, interior and infrastructure.
I grew up in Belgium, where I completed my Master in Architecture. After graduation I travelled to China to see firsthand the once in a generation architectural shift that was happening across mainland China. I started working for Zaha Hadid Architects and Buro Ole Scheeren, where I contributed to buildings that have changed skylines across Asia ever since. This leap into the unknown at the time has proven to be the right step to start and develop my career, life and everything that comes with it.
Later on, I led my own team of younger designers at gmp architekten in Shanghai, getting a deeper understanding of designing in China, dealing with clients, and working with collaborators all striving for that one common goal: great architecture.
All this experience provided me with the right outlook, the right skills and understandings to eventually venture into my own photography studio. I chose to solely specialise in photography of architecture, interior and infrastructure. Simply because I understand what makes a building work, what are the features to focus on, and get the concept and goals of the designers translated in stunning photos.
Kris is an award winning photographer.
Winner at the The Architectural Photographer Awards 2021 in the Buildings in Use category. Photo taken during the Hong Kong COVID-19 Lockdown.
Professional Winner at the Blueprint Architectural Photography Awards. Kris won the professional Urbanism category with a photo of the Human vs City series, taken in Chongqing, China.
Selected as the only Hong Kong based photographer in the Top 100 Architectural photographers at the LOOP Design Awards.
During my first trip to China in 2010, I started photographing China’s most iconic architecture that was built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Over the next 10 years I photographed 100s of buildings in 20 different Chinese cities for a project that was later to be called ‘Beautified China’.
With Beautified China, the goal was simple: bring attention to the massive architectural revolution that was on-going in China. The architecture that was getting built here was more daring, more iconic and taking entirely different proportions. The attention for Beautified China was overwhelming. From high profile publications in Architectural Digest, Vogue and CNN to a high quality book publication through leading Belgian publisher Lannoo, to an immersive exhibition in Beijing and lectures in major cities. Beautified China struck a nerve and with the focus on lesser-known cities across mainland China, the west learned more about the vast variety and scale of China. I am currently in talks with other countries to highlight their architecture through a new series.
I’m working with a wide range of clients.
Developers: Sino Group, Swire Properties, Henderson Land, Hysan Development, Hongkong Land, ChinaChem Group, Grosvenor, HKRI, West Kowloon Cultural Districty Authority, Link REIT
Architects: Aedas, Archi+, Atkins, Bernard Tschumi Architects, Farrells, GMP Architekten, Hassell, Henning Larsen Architects, KPF, Kris Yao | Artech, LAAB, LWK+Partners, MVRDV, OMA, OPEN, SO-IL, UNStudio, Woods Bagot, Zaha Hadid Architects
Brands: Prada, Miu Miu, Saint Laurent, Celine, Sony, HSBC
Specialisation:
Kris’ work is widely published.
Vogue wrote about Beautified China in January 2020, highlighting 10 of the most incredible buildings in China
The Guardian wrote about Human vs City, Chongqing in June 2019
Dezeen shared the photoseries ‘Eden of the Orient, in October 2020
Photographing Architecture ultimately depends on understanding the subject in front of the lens. My decade long firsthand experience designing architecture forms a steady base when taking on new assignments. Over the past years I worked with a variety of architects, developers, engineers and publications to bring out the best out of each building. Where each photograph has a narrative bringing elements together. From design features and contextual considerations to mood building and human interactions. Architecture photography comes at the end of a years long design process, and should showcase the best of this long and often tedious process. (And I know how tedious it can be).
Photography is observing. Observing is understanding. So photographing to understand? Picking up a camera has been the tool for me to make sense of my surroundings. Besides Beautified China, which helped me understand my new surroundings working and living through a rapidly changing period in the development of China, I have published several photo-essays that allowed me to dive deeper into a certain issue relating to our urban context. Eden of the Orient, a photo-essay which helped me understand the housing crisis that has held Hong Kong in a tight grip the past 2 decades, has helped me understand my new context after moving to Hong Kong.
I’m regularly invited at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong to be part of design critiques and talk about my experience in Architecture and Photography.
I’m happy to discuss your photography needs, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Copyright notice:
This website, photographs and texts are © Copyright 2017-2024 Kris Provoost. All Rights Reserved. The use of any of the photographs and texts on this website without the written permission of the photographer is strictly prohibited.
You may obtain permission to use images from this website by contacting krisprovoost@me.com There is a charge for the use of any image for commercial purposes. Details of pricing can be provided upon request to the above email address.