Last Updated on 09/20/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
All images by Birgit Schlosser. Used with permission.
For anyone who’s used to seeing highrises made of steel and glass and concrete, and wooden structures painted in various colors every single day, Lanzarote, the fourth largest island in the Canaries, would be a refreshing sight to behold as experienced by Birgit Schlosser. As is the case in the more popular Santorini and its own white structures, all of the houses in Lanzarote are painted white on the outside due to strict implementation by local authorities. Pops of color appear only on painted shutters which are either green in the countryside or blue by the sea.
So picture this; it’s a bright, sunny day and the wind blows gently, while the houses sit against the unobstructed backdrop of the clear blue sky and the sea. Sure gives off that eternal summer feel, doesn’t it?
These white stone houses are the subjects of Birgit Schlosser’s series, Levity of White. Birgit, a graphic designer and photographer who hails from Munich, Germany, shared her inspiration for the series, saying:
“I was inspired for this series during a trip to Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. There it is law to build only in white. All the white buildings, the blue sky, the warm sun, and the sea were the perfect combination for easy summer feelings. So I decided to portray the architecture of the island in minimalist images.”
Instead of just snapping photos of the structures, Birgit opted to highlight architectural details such as curves and corners of the roofs and painted doors and shutters – all set against a beautiful clear sky.
“The colour “white” in architecture means transparency for me and makes the existing forms, lines, and structures immediately perceptible and trouble-free; white architecture seems light and effortless. This series is a tribute to levity of white.”
See all the photos that comprise Levity of White here. While you’re at it, check out Birgit Schlosser’s Behance portfolio to see more of her work in architecture photography.