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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Print, Dimore, Giuseppe Uncini

Giuseppe Uncini

Print . 87 x 170 x 0.1 cm Print . 34.3 x 66.9 x 0 inch

CHF 1,839

Painting, Amsterdam, Veronika Benoni

Veronika Benoni

Painting . 76 x 92 x 2 cm Painting . 29.9 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch

CHF 2,141

Painting, Ruins, Mark Kostabi

Mark Kostabi

Painting . 157.5 x 172.7 cm Painting . 62 x 68 inch

CHF 15,152

Fine Art Drawings, Yellow, Lucio Forte

Lucio Forte

Fine Art Drawings . 34 x 24 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 13.4 x 9.4 x 0 inch

CHF 146

Print, Venice, Virgilio Guidi

Virgilio Guidi

Print . 56 x 70 x 0.3 cm Print . 22 x 27.6 x 0.1 inch

CHF 292

Painting, Climate, Michael Cameron

Michael Cameron

Painting . 41 x 41 x 4 cm Painting . 16.1 x 16.1 x 1.6 inch

CHF 778

Fine Art Drawings, Nature Reclaims, Osse Müller

Osse Müller

Fine Art Drawings . 49 x 72 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.3 x 28.3 x 0.1 inch

CHF 1,849

Sculpture, Zybride #2 - Vorjak, Mani

Mani

Sculpture . 54 x 32 x 1 cm Sculpture . 21.3 x 12.6 x 0.4 inch

CHF 487

Fine Art Drawings, HfG Fassade, Yves Bélorgey

Yves Bélorgey

Fine Art Drawings . 80 x 121 cm Fine Art Drawings . 31.5 x 47.6 inch

CHF 7,298

Painting, Sous le Pont, Carlo Maiolini

Carlo Maiolini

Painting . 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting . 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

CHF 827

Painting, Phillipes, Logan Hicks

Logan Hicks

Painting . 77 x 57 x 2 cm Painting . 30.3 x 22.4 x 0.8 inch

CHF 1,460

Design, Lampe Dania, Dario Tognon

Dario Tognon

Design . 40 x 34 x 34 cm Design . 15.7 x 13.4 x 13.4 inch

CHF 1,411

Photography, The Game, Camille Brasselet

Camille Brasselet

Photography . 75 x 50 cm Photography . 29.5 x 19.7 inch

CHF 1,265

Painting, Sunny Seclusion, Valia

Valia

Painting . 80 x 60 x 0.1 cm Painting . 31.5 x 23.6 x 0 inch

CHF 632

Sculpture, Sasquatches, Clare McCracken

Clare McCracken

Sculpture . 39 x 31 x 17 cm Sculpture . 15.4 x 12.2 x 6.7 inch

CHF 915

Print, Inside Out, Haiti, JR

JR

Print . 70 x 100 x 0.01 cm Print . 27.6 x 39.4 x 0 inch

CHF 1,460 CHF 1,314

Photography, N°2076, Jean-Paul Baret

Jean-Paul Baret

Photography . 110 x 60 cm Photography . 43.3 x 23.6 inch

CHF 798

Photography, Afghanistan, Brian McKee

Brian McKee

Photography . 126 x 161 x 0.1 cm Photography . 49.6 x 63.4 x 0 inch

CHF 2,919

Painting, Seville, Véro Blaise

Véro Blaise

Painting . 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting . 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

CHF 1,391

Painting, Manhattan, Michèle Sala

Michèle Sala

Painting . 50 x 61 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 24 x 0.8 inch

CHF 778

Fine Art Drawings, Sans Titre, Gabriel Riesnert

Gabriel Riesnert

Fine Art Drawings . 41 x 31 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 16.1 x 12.2 x 0.2 inch

CHF 710

Painting, Hanoi Style, Duong Viet Nam

Duong Viet Nam

Painting . 129.5 x 162.6 x 2.5 cm Painting . 51 x 64 x 1 inch

CHF 6,685

Fine Art Drawings, Ritual, Enrico Sacchetti

Enrico Sacchetti

Fine Art Drawings . 72 x 54 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 28.3 x 21.3 x 0 inch

CHF 1,460

Painting, Bellona, Nigel Bailey

Nigel Bailey

Painting . 40.3 x 51 x 0.3 cm Painting . 15.9 x 20.1 x 0.1 inch

CHF 1,192

Painting, Tbilisi, Nina Kobaidze

Nina Kobaidze

Painting . 50 x 60 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

CHF 2,141

Painting, Moucharabieh, Chufy

Chufy

Painting . 100 x 73 x 1.5 cm Painting . 39.4 x 28.7 x 0.6 inch

CHF 1,557

Design, Extrovert, Olga Kirienko

Olga Kirienko

Design . 148 x 104 x 2 cm Design . 58.3 x 40.9 x 0.8 inch

CHF 2,919

Photography, Napoli, Gabriele Basilico

Gabriele Basilico

Photography . 102 x 130 x 2 cm Photography . 40.2 x 51.2 x 0.8 inch

CHF 9,731

Sculpture, Sans titre, Rosette Bir

Rosette Bir

Sculpture . 34 x 36 x 19 cm Sculpture . 13.4 x 14.2 x 7.5 inch

CHF 2,335

Painting, Chili, Maylis Bourdet

Maylis Bourdet

Painting . 80 x 80 x 3 cm Painting . 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch

CHF 1,440

Painting, Le mas, Cécile Colombo

Cécile Colombo

Painting . 60 x 60 x 3 cm Painting . 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

CHF 954