23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
Silence

a dramatic architectural interior defined by a circular arrangement of tall, vertical concrete columns that rise with solemn precision from a stone-tiled floor to the ceiling above. At the center lies a square, polished black surface—likely a mirror or reflective stone—that captures the light from a window overhead, creating a striking interplay of reflection and depth (oil pool by Noriyuki Haraguchi ). The symmetry of the columns and the geometric clarity of the floor pattern evoke a sense of ritual and order, while the raw materiality of concrete and stone speaks to modernist minimalism. The space feels contemplative and monumental, as if designed for reflection—both literal and metaphorical.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2023
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Tehran, Iran
Copyright: © Sahar Safardoost