Architecture nominee

The Beelitz Series is a comprehensive image collection of the abandoned Beelitz Heilstätten Sanatorium in Germany. All photographs are intended for fine art prints 40x60" and larger to create a sense of realism and allow for an engaging exploration. Full release is slated for Fall 2016.
The project is fully sanctioned by the property's owner and shows the final state of decay before the buildings underwent a re-utilization and remodel process shortly after the images were taken.
The main objective of the photographs is to show the grandeur of the 18th century architecture and the beauty that remains in the structures, despite the decay. The buildings display an fascinating parallel to aging & decay and how it relates to human beings. While shooting, I found myself overwhelmed and humbled by the sights, what they represented and how applicable those things were to my own existence.
The images are an invitation to a journey through this historic site, explore and engage, be stimulated by the vast history and personal stories within those walls.

Award winning photographer Mario Basner was born in the suburbs of Hamburg, Germany in 1968. His works focus primarily on architectural subjects and cultural identities, translating experiences through time and space while offering an unparalleled sensation of depth and realism. By opening a window to the evolution of life and time, Mario blurs the past with the present, evoking thought and stimulating the senses through an immersive and sensory viewing experience.

When he discovered an abandoned historic site in Europe in 2013, Mario inadvertently found his voice and his purpose. His highly acclaimed documentary series of the Beelitz Heilstätten Sanatorium became the first installment of Mario’s “World Heritage Collection”, earning 59 international awards of excellence. The profoundly compelling and emotionally charged photographs have been a permanent installation in Mario’s Las Vegas art gallery since 2017.

Mario’s latest projects include an ongoing series of library portraits from around the world. These captivating works emphasize the inspirational qualities of historic libraries by depicting the emotional experience within the environments.