Technogym Milan@Night

I photographed this storefront in Milan after dark, intrigued by the way its illuminated windows cut through the night. The architecture itself is not the subject so much as the grid of glowing rectangles, each acting like a screen against the blackness of the street. The strong yellow framing lines draw the eye, repeating rhythmically across the facade, while the deep shadows surrounding them emphasise their intensity.

Compositionally, I chose a wide perspective to capture the full stretch of the facade. This decision places emphasis on repetition and geometry rather than on any single detail. The asymmetry of the right side, where a bright advertisement interrupts the rhythm, creates a counterpoint to the otherwise steady pattern of light. That disruption keeps the frame from slipping into monotony.

Technically, this was a low-light challenge. I exposed for the highlights to preserve the luminous edges of the windows, which meant letting most of the street fall into shadow. The result is high contrast, a deliberate choice to isolate the building against the dark. Inevitably, the darker areas contain some noise, but in this case it does not detract; the grain reinforces the sense of night rather than undermining it. The colours were allowed to remain bold—yellows, cyans, and blacks dominating the palette without dilution.

The photograph captures less of the street life and more of the visual theatre produced by commercial lighting. It is a portrait of the city as spectacle, where even after hours the glow of branding remains present, cutting into the silence of the street.