manuel alvarez diestro captures construction crane silhouettes against tehran’s cityscape

framing tehran’s tower cranes in poetically eerie compositions

Having long explored construction landscapes across Iran, visual artist Manuel Alvarez Diestro turns his lens to Tehran’s bustling metropolis. Instead of delving into the intricacies of the building process, Diestro focuses on the poetic interplay of tower cranes, presenting an intriguing perspective of these enigmatic, vertical structures from a distance. From a compositional approach, Diestro departs from conventional close-ups, instead framing the tower cranes from the hills surrounding the city to emphasize a poetic and eerie ambiance. In the photographer’s eyes, they become distant silhouettes against the backdrop of Tehran’s evolving, ultra-dense urban landscape, their dynamic accents punctuating the skyline.

all images by Manuel Alvarez Diestro

manuel alvarez diestro captures the evolving metropolis

Capturing the various facets of Tehran’s urban transformation and the significant role of tower cranes in Tehran’s metropolitan narrative, Manuel Alvarez Diestro showcases their enduring importance. Drawing on his childhood fascination with the ephemeral nature of these schematic structures, the photographer highlights their symbolic dance, moving gracefully across the cityscape. In the past decade, Tehran has witnessed a construction spree, extending beyond new city developments surrounding the congested capital to encompass the creation of apartment blocks in the affluent northern neighborhoods where the air is cleaner against the backdrop of the Alborz mountains.

Tower cranes take center stage against the city’s skyline, become integral components in residential developments, and coexist harmoniously with antennas and the urban fabric. From unfinished skyscrapers in central Tehran to the construction of new residential blocks, the visual narratives unfold against the sprawling metropolis, offering glimpses into the evolving face of the Iranian capital.

cluster of cranes coexisting with antennas and the urban fabric

set against the backdrop of the Alborz mountain range

tower cranes on the forefront against the city

residential developments in front of north east Tehran

tower cranes against the Alborz mountain range

eerie view of Tehran with crane crowning the skyline

unfinished skyscraper in central Tehran

construction of new residential blocks with sprawling metropolis on the back

view of Tehran towards the North West

tower cranes within the ultra-dense urban fabric

tower crane pointing a new residential development

project info:

name: Tehran tower cranes

photographer: Manuel Alvarez Diestro

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom