Guardian readers 

Readers’ travel photograph competition: March – architecture

Your architecture shots take us from ancient Burmese temples to sleek modern office blocks. Scroll through the gallery to see the winning shot, which will be mounted by Point 101 and displayed in an end-of-year exhibition at the Guardian offices in London. The best shot of the year wins a fantastic 11-night trip to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, courtesy of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal and specialist tour operator Africa and Beyond
  
  


Buildings gallery: Antwerpen-Centraal train station, Antwerp
Alberto Revelli: Antwerpen-Centraal station was built between 1895 and 1905 under the direction of Louis Delacenserie, an architect from Bruges whose career reached its peak with this project. The style is very eclectic, with many neo-renaissance elements that remind the visitor of the economic and artistic glory of 16th-century Antwerp. Just by stepping off the train and seeing the majestic architecture of the terminal, travellers get a taste of the wonderful city that awaits outside. Photograph: Alberto Revelli/GuardianWitness
Buildings gallery: Apartment blocks in Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil
Paul Davis: These apartment blocks in São José Dos Campos, Brazil, failed to comply with local planning laws so have been left empty despite the fact that a few hundred yards away people are living in shacks on an old railway line. Photograph: Paul Davis/GuardianWitness
Buildings gallery: Melbourne's Central Shopping Centre
Daryl Page: Melbourne's Central shopping centre is dominated by Coop’s Shot Tower, which is enclosed by a seemingly weightless glass dome above. The juxtaposition between the old and modern architectural styles is enhanced by the light and shadows that play over the tower’s brick surface. Photograph: Daryl Page/GuardianWitness
Buildings gallery: Sydney, Australia
Michelle Middleton: It was love at first sight when I went to Sydney for the first time last Christmas and New Year. I actually had to sit down – the amount of time I spent looking up and taking photos with my fisheye lens gave me vertigo! I love the contrast of the traditional architecture with the sparkling new skyscrapers, with palm trees between it all, reminding you of the tropical climate. Photograph: Michelle Middleton/GuardianWitness
Buildings gallery: Taj Mahal, India
Dominic Burdon: The symmetry, attention to detail and amazing story behind the Taj Mahal make it one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. As is often the case, if you wake up early enough you are able to avoid the masses and wander around in relative calm. The other great thing about this time of day is the subtle light for photography.
Photograph: Dominic Burdon/GuardianWitness Photograph: ID101099ID101099/GuardianWitness
Buildings gallery: Tower Bridge, London
Tiara Anggamulia: Tower Bridge never ceases to amaze me. The structure is one of London's iconic symbols, and I waited for another of London's icons to pass over the bridge – a red bus – to take this shot, adding life and excitement to the scene. Photograph: Tiara Anggamulia/GuardianWitness
Buildings gallery: View of St Paul's Cathedral
Nick Jackson: Despite travelling to the far corners of the globe, sometimes the most beautiful architecture is on your doorstep. I haven't been anywhere that takes my breath away as much as this view of St Paul's Cathedral, particularly at sunset. The history and stories within the lights and shadows of such an old building contrast wonderfully with the neon glow of the new city growing up around it. Photograph: Nick Jackson/GuardianWitness
Buildings gallery: Bagan temples, Myanmar
Dean Patrick, runner-up: Bagan is an architectural wonderland - thousands of temples built on a riverside plain in central Burma from the 11th to 13th centuries. I normally prioritise sleep over photography, but getting up at 4am and climbing to the top of one of the temples was definitely worth the effort to see the sunrise gradually illuminate the misty landscape.

Natalie Mayer, judge: A stunning scene, captured at a splendid time of day. There is a small mark caused, most likely, by sensor dust, to the right on the mountains. This could be easily stamped off with the rubber stamp tool in Photoshop. I find the composition to be almost perfect, apart from one small matter. The spike of the temple is almost exactly on a level with the top of the mountains. Our eye can’t help but rest there and ponder this, yet it’s an inconsequential alignment. A little squat down, or standing on something, could have realigned this. Photograph: Dean Patrick/GuardianWitness
Buildings gallery: National Capitol Columns at the National Arboretum in Washington DC
Elizabeth Purdie, runner-up: These imposing columns – the National Capitol Columns – were once part of the Capitol building in Washington DC. However, they did not sit well with the final dome of that building, so they were eventually transplanted to sit among 20 acres of meadowland at the National Arboretum in DC. I liked the way the autumn colours and active sky complemented their grandeur on the day I visited.

Natalie Mayer, judge: What a fascinating story about why these strange and grand columns are dotted on the landscape. A very pleasing image has been produced; good, clean and well balanced composition but… if the photographer would have taken one or two steps to the right, the column spacing would have balanced out to make the image properly symmetrical. Photograph: Elizabeth Purdie/GuardianWitness
Buildings gallery: Office building on the southbank, London
Slawek Kozdras, winner: The photo shows an office building on the south bank of the river Thames in London. If you look closely you will see that each floor is different, and the décor in each room has individual character. If you look even closer, you can also spot a few people here and there.

Natalie Mayer, judge: I love this shot. Very Gursky. I’m compelled to keep looking, peeping into the windows to find a person, or look at the furniture and the scene. It’s a very simply, but effectively composed image. In a way, the curve of the windows and the odd dark room is a little disturbing to the eye and overall effect, which is a shame. But still, I find this a super picture worth a second and third look. Photograph: Slawek Kozdras/GuardianWitness
 

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