Urbanization is proceeding at a rapid pace all over the world. Three-quarters of all children being born today are born in cities. Particularly in Africa, Latin America and Asia cities are swelling to unmanageable proportions. Historic urban elements fall prey to commercial initiatives, and in the absence of any master plan a potpourri of architecture and infrastructure, old and new, arises. Claudio Hils photographed the Thai capital, Bangkok, which is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. He focused in particularly on details, since the city has become too large to be captured in general photos now. Moreover, it is precisely these ordinary elements that define the real character of the city.

Claudio Hils (Germany, b. 1962) is a freelance photographer and media designer. He is a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences Vorarlberg, Austria. His series on Bangkok is a part of DREAM CITY (2001), a series of portraits of fast-growing metropolises.