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

Bastille

1961 Abstraction Vue du ciel Champs Urbanisme Fields

Fish Market is Closed

Boats on the Horizon

Saint Louis

The tower /Fall winter 2006 Le Grand Palais Paris

Manège

Balade dans le Vieux Annecy

Dead city

Au coin de la rue aux prêtres

1999 Paris Rue de Lanneau Quartier Latin

Florence

Scene With A Baby Jumper

Meares and Cook Victoria

Tower Brick Bridge

San Francisco, Bay Bridge golfer

Miami Circles 01

Untitled 2 from the series of INtheVISIBLE, 2013

New York Les Patineurs

Cheese bell (4)

Moonlight

Top

Good morning NYC

The invisible map bronze edition

Blue sky 1977 Ciel bleu Harmonie et Fracture

Illuminated

Downtown 1

Diptyque mécanique

Great Wall

Venice #1

Rome

Le Moulin de la Galette

Juice bar

Untitled 1

Utopia Ermetica

Bateau à marée basse 2

Corn at Night

Antique funky London

Urban Patterns - 5-panels

When you leave

New York

Nuits jazz

Diaphanes

Pelekapina

You Have Big Plans

Maison à la toiture rouge

Mon loft à Brooklyn

Ring Traveler 1936

Port de Barcelone

La Catedral, Santiago de Compostela

M132

Ardent

Dans les buildings

J'aime les Chemins d'Océan

Untitled

Quiet Night in Our Yard

Piazza del Popolo

Ritual

Landscape

Voyage sur la Roue

Aan de Amsterdamse Grachten III

Rome from the Pincio

After Dark

Christ-Elle

Composition II

Ropas