Interview with Marie Claire Maison, Korea

An Interview with the winner of the Architectural Photography Award 2025, Michael Lütge

Congratulations on winning the title of “Photographer of the Year” at the Architectural Photography Award 2025. Let's go back to when you first started out in architectural photography. What drew you to this world?

Thank you very much. I started photography in 2018 when I felt that my work-focused life had become unbalanced.

The camera gave me the opportunity to distance myself from the world and have time just for myself. In this quiet time, I could finally be alone. I soon realised that architecture appealed to me most – the point where art, structure and everyday life come together. In it, I found order, balance and emptiness.

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Did you have an interest in architecture before, or did photography lead you there?

Both. Order, proportion and structure have fascinated me for a long time. The balance between stability and tension is always new to me. Photography has become a precise tool for making these elements visible.

Architecture is a language that influences emotions and behaviour – and through the camera, I can translate it into light and space.

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About the series ‘Architectural Minimalism’

The photo was taken on a cold winter evening in January 2024 in Hamburg's Grindelviertel district. The petrol station, built in the early 1950s, has been a listed building since 1999. Three glass façades and a wide, curved roof give it a striking presence to this day. I was drawn to the clarity of this architecture – simple, powerful and yet calm.

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What do you find most appealing about architectural photography?

Clarity. Architecture is about leaving out the superfluous – and so is photography. When you remove the unnecessary, form, space and light emerge in their essence. This reduction creates tranquillity.



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Three words that describe the basis of your work?

Minimalism, clarity, restraint. Don't show everything – preserve the essentials. For me, photography is about finding tranquillity in chaos and capturing a moment of clarity through form and light.

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What are your prospects following the award?

The award is both confirmation and encouragement. Perhaps photography will take up an even larger part of my life in the future. My goal remains simple: to travel, discover and create images that touch people.

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Original by Moon Hyejun, Marie Claire Maison, Korea

Translation: own

About Marie Claire Maison magazine, Korea:

Marie Claire Maison magazine is part of the Marie Claire Korea brand, which was launched on the Korean market in 1993. As a lifestyle and design magazine, Marie Claire Maison focuses on home living, interior design and modern lifestyles. It is considered one of the international ‘reference brands’ in the field of home decor. The Marie Claire Korea brand, which also includes Maison, reports a total ‘footprint’ of 5.2 million for the Korean market. (Information provided without guarantee)