Before We Explain the World

Photography by Lu Heng

3The World We Build

Structures in the Open

Story 17 of 51 · 10 photographs

A circular complex, towers, bridges and wires draw lines against the sky. At the end, look past the port to the snowy mountains. Within one frame, how much room do the built structures take, and how much the mountains?

  1. A vast circular building seen from above, with trees in its courtyard and surrounding grounds.
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    A ring in the city

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  2. A slender white tower stands beside water and lower buildings beneath a wide blue sky.
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    A tower by the water

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  3. An elevated view of a symmetrical square, with red-roofed buildings on either side and the city beyond.
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    The axis of a square

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  1. Golden light catches the glass surface of a curved tower rising into pale blue sky.
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    Light on the tower

  2. A lit suspension bridge reflects in the water in a black-and-white night view.
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    Lights along the bridge

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  3. Red and orange linear supports rise against a blue-violet sky.
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    Red framework

  1. A pylon, lamp post and treetops stand in silhouette against orange and yellow sky.
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    Wires against orange sky

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  2. Wind turbines, roadside poles and power lines stand in silhouette beneath a sky fading from deep blue to pale orange.
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    Wind turbines at twilight

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  3. Behind a red cargo ship and port structures, a white mountain emerges through haze.
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    A mountain beyond the port

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  1. A rounded dome on a tall support and a smaller dome sit along a bare ridge beneath a pale blue sky and scattered clouds.
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    Domes on a mountain ridge

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