The winners of the 2014 Arcaid Images Architectural Photography Awards have been announced at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Singapore. Taking home the grand prize and the title of the Arcaid Images Architectural Photographer of Year 2014 (in association with Sto and supported by WAF) are the photographers Hufton + Crow, for their stunning image of the interior of Zaha Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The winning image captures the bare, fluid geometry of the Center’s staircase, in contrast with a single figure standing at the top of the steps. The photographers told Dezeen, « A good image to us has to be bold in composition, with strong architectural elements, ideally combined with capturing a moment. We don’t set up or direct the people in our images, rather we compose the frame and then shoot people as they naturally explore the space. This hopefully results in images that have a narrative. »

Photographers from around the world competed in the categories Exteriors, Interiors, Sense of Place, and Buildings in Use for the contest. Check out the runners-up and some of the shortlisted images, below.

Overall Winner
Photographers: Hufton + Crow
Category: Interiors
Building: Heydar Aliyev Center
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects

Runner-up
Photographer: Victor Romeo
Category: Exteriors
Building: Cayan Tower
Location: Dubai, UAE
Architects: SOM