Architecture

Art and architecture share many similarities. They've influenced one another throughout history. However, trying to liken these two disciplines will inevitably lead to certain contractions.

Perhaps the biggest difference is that Art, in its broadest sense, is defined as a creation meant to trigger an emotional response which is generally related to aesthetic pleasure. It doesn't satisfy any of life's basic needs, but it leads to thoughts, reflections, and often taps into our subconscious and our memory. On the other hand, architecture's primary purpose is to shelter individuals and ensure their safety. Architecture is meant to serve a utilitarian purpose.

Today, architecture has gone far beyond this initial function. Architects have strived to combine engineering and aesthetic research to create buildings that are so out of the ordinary we wonder how they were designed. They want their creations to stand out and favour originality and creativity. Just like in arts, architecture is influenced by the historical, social, and political context of the time and each movement has its own characteristics, from baroque to futurism to Bauhaus. Modern architecture marked a turn in the history of architecture. Architects revolutionised the social scope of their discipline and took an industrialist approach to society and nature — avant-garde architects rubbed shoulders with artists such as Georges Braque, Piet Mondrian, and members of the De Stijl group. Le Corbusier is a pioneer in collective housing, and also took part in ambitious projects which aimed to rebuild entire cities, such as Chandigarh in India. Decorative arts also developed by taking inspiration from the conventions that governed modernist architecture.

Contemporary architecture might not be a specific movement per se, but buildings that fall into this category share certain attributes. Contemporary architecture is characterised by curvy lines and various volumes in a single structure, as seen with the Sydney Opera House. The architect Jørn Utzon explained that he didn't seek to create a building for this project, but an actual sculpture. The building continually renews itself with new meanings and experiences for each passerby. Architectural works often require periods of deep reflection and a long though process in order for the architect to envisage how to give their building a sense of character and soul.

Whether architecture is an art or not is a never ending debate, but it is undeniable that there are strong links between the two disciplines. There are many examples of collaborations between contemporary artists and architects, and today the works of the greatest architects are exhibited in museums along with their fellow artists.

Discover our selections of artworks inspired by art and architecture!

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Architecture

Taj Mahal. India

Buddha Temple

Retour à la Caverne - Acte I, 7 septembre 2023, 06h52, Palais Garnier, Paris, France, 2023

Eleuthera Pool Party

Cemetry

Whispers in the Waves

Street mirror

Meaning of life

Garden of my soul

Don't try. Do!

You know exactly where to go

La Nuit de Pise

Urban structure 2

Uruburu

New York, lithographie originale

Three chords

Parisian roofs

Bougainvillier IV

Hercule Temple Design

Abstrait. Paréidolie. Bataille de dinosaure. Préhistoire. Bateau

La nuit de Pise

Solitare

Cohabitation

Coucher de soleil

Dawn over Bagan

Ballet, Regard surplombant la façade du Palais Garnier, Opéra de Paris, France, 2014

Carmen and Don José fleeing on horseback from The Opera Carmen

Warm stones

1002 Windows

Mirages #14

Gestural abstraction

Levi, from Twelve Tribes of Israel

N° 1239 Nazareth.

JR au Palais de Tokyo, 29 Août 2020, 6h42, Paris, France, 2022

Faith 03- sailing boat

N° 1221 Marennes. Chenal de Cayenne.

N° 1198 Entracte. Jardinière 4.

JR au Louvre et le Secret de la Grande Pyramide

Le balcon

What the Future Holds (Sheats-Goldstein Residence)

Stahl House

JR au Palais de Tokyo, 28 Août 2020, 16H12, Paris

Elements

Night Chats

Composition of Opal

Chit chats at the Abernathy residence

Jupiter in Merida

Dusk and good company

Kind of September

Decisions, decisions

Edris House

Double Date

Tranquility

The Dame Abides

Morning Cuppa

It's all good

Be happy

Inflatabale

Hommage à Lao Tseu H.16 cm chromée

L'Empire State Building (Vue 2)

The 50

Midsummer Night Blues

Place Dauphine

Les falaises du Trocadéro 18 mai 2021 19h58

Verde Lago

Contrada Scotola