Spanish photographer Manuel Álvarez Diestro has created an innovative photographic series that uses the geometric structure of soccer goalposts as a lens to examine urban development and architectural boundaries. His project, titled "Through the Goalpost," challenges traditional concepts of architectural photography by transforming these simple sports structures into powerful observation frames for capturing cityscapes around the world.

The concept behind Diestro's work explores the ambiguous relationship between soccer goals and architecture itself. While consisting of merely two posts and a crossbar that define no inhabitable space, these structures still manage to mark the goalkeeper's territory in a minimal yet significant way. The photographer leverages this humble but powerful geometry to contemplate the expansion of modern cities and urban growth patterns.

Diestro's approach involves positioning himself as a discreet observer who enters empty fields, peers through fences, or watches from a distance to capture his subjects. His methodology focuses on tracing the dialogue between the geometric clarity of the goalpost and the cubic shapes of surrounding buildings. This technique has allowed him to photograph diverse locations, from residential neighborhoods in Kyiv to towering developments in major metropolitan areas.

The photographic series spans across various territories and circumstances, featuring images taken in locations ranging from desert landscapes to dense inner cities. Notable shots include goalposts framed against residential towers in Songdo, South Korea, urban scenes in Casablanca with residential buildings in the background, skyscrapers in Seoul viewed through goalpost frames, and distant urban developments captured through goalposts in London.

"To photograph a goal is to frame nothing, and yet, to see through it is to reveal the architecture of the world beyond," explains photographer Manuel Álvarez Diestro. Through his unique perspective, the goalpost becomes what he describes as a "mysterious geometry" - devoid of players, ball, or goalkeeper, with only the camera crossing the frame and metaphorically "scoring" through the architectures of urban growth.

This innovative approach to architectural photography challenges conventional boundaries of the genre by focusing on absence rather than presence. Diestro's work demonstrates how everyday structures can serve as powerful tools for observing and documenting the rapid transformation of urban landscapes across different continents and cultures.