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

Strada Rosa

Ouessant - série bord de mer

Ombre et lumière 7

Pas 02.23

Santorini

Mediterranean street

Emmène-moi

N°1267 Bethléem. Basilique de la Nativité 2.

N° 1264 Jérusalem. Mont Sion.

First Snow

Untitled. From The Durero Series

Closed for now

The Black Tavern

LE REFUGE

Bourgoin Jallieu

Mémoire de JingDeZhen Village 4

L'Empire des Lumières

Sans titre 4

Souvenirs de l'été

Millennium Bridge

Bologna Street Around City Centre

Saint Augustine

Spring in Foy

Eenie Meenie Miney

Solo lamp

Moonshine in spring

This is the season of the witch

River in winter

Windy autumn

Greek facade

Sérénité

Tower of Babel

Santa and Serena Antonelli

Little Island New York

La chambre verte

Let's Go VI

Suburban Night

Arc de Bará. Tarragona

Forum. Tarragona

Pont robot

Rome - Le pont Saint Ange

Le Mont Saint Michel

Dianatempel

Peschiera

Le mas des garrigues

Bio center – station over the vine

Pink Motel

Chancay VIII

Zénith

By the Bodhi Tree

Untitled. From The Durero Series

New York, Green Carpet

Paris, Triomphe du vivant

Paris, Pont Alexandre-III

Golconde

Disfrutando del paseo

65 Flats

On Wellington Street, Toronto

Prayer for Ukraine

Chris Morin-Eitner - Paris, Montmartre

London Brightness

NYC

Paris, Palais zébré

Rue Norvins Montmartre

La tourné des gondoles. Venise

Il Vittoriano