Andrew Campion Chases Light from Dawn to Dusk at the Iconic Rotterdam Central Station

“Shot on the tenth anniversary of Rotterdam central station, this series is a tribute to the much loved station looking at the amazing qualities of light that transform the building throughout the day,” muses Andrew Campion. Andrew is an architectural photographer in Rotterdam, originally hailing from Dublin, and floats between the two places taking on projects.

He goes on, “As passengers rush through the station on their way to their next destination it is easy to miss the unfolding spectacle taking place around them. This series is an attempt to slow down that experience and draw attention to the show on display each day. Whether it is the glass or titanium steel cladding taken on the hue of the changing sky or the play of light and shadow as the light filters in between the structure of the roof, when we take a moment to stop and look around before hopping on a train to the next destination, we can each notice something special.”

“One defining feature of Rotterdam Central is the titanium cladding on its iconic triangular-shaped roof,” Andrew explains.

“I arrived at sunrise and waited for the mirror-like planes of metal to begin reflecting the hues of the sky. Using my 70-200mm lens, I captured a close-up shot that revealed not just the colours the material had absorbed but also the rippled texture and detailed stitching of its surface. The compressed view of the intersecting planes of the roof, defined by contrasting light and shadow, transformed the building into an image that was both strange and familiar at the same time.”

Andrew does a wonderful job of showing both the macro, and micro, aspects of this project. He mixes grand sweeping views and heaps of context, with paired-down views showing off light and materiality.

He speaks on the next gorgeous image, saying “During the day, the cavernous entry hall is filled mainly with indirect light, a result of the projecting eaves of the roof that prevent direct light from reaching the interior. I predicted that in the early morning, the low angle of the sun from the east would allow it to pass under the roof and into the hall, creating a scene reserved only for the early commuters.

As I responded with my camera to this fleeting moment I captured a vignette of a single passenger standing still in the scene among a flurry of moving passengers, a moment of stillness among a busy backdrop.”

I appreciate the way Andrew portrays the scale of the station. Throughout his shoot, but especially in these next two shots, we get a feel for the enormity of the space.

Beautiful light is everywhere, making patterns, shadows, and adding depth.

Next up is one of my favorites from this shoot. Andrew shares, “Stepping down from an arriving train, you descend onto a light-filled platform. Captured during the middle of the day, the high angle of the sun allows shafts of light to penetrate the structure and fall directly onto the platform floor. These spectacular shafts of light are broken up by the mosaic printed pattern on the solar glass that spans the expansive roof and the secondary structure between the beams, creating a constantly shifting pattern across the platform floor.”

Andrew’s timing on this project is brilliant. Look at the light play, shapes, and patterns. Just awesome!

What a lovely series. Thanks so much for sharing these with us Andrew!

You can see more of Andrew’s work on the web at andrewcampionphotography.com and on Instagram @andrewcampionphotography.

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