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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Painting, Ville jaune, Karin Boinet

Karin Boinet

Painting . 32 x 24 x 0.1 cm Painting . 12.6 x 9.4 x 0 inch

£755

Sculpture, Temple, 1/8, Beatrice Bizot

Beatrice Bizot

Sculpture . 30 x 23 x 18 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 9.1 x 7.1 inch

£2,485

Painting, It seems Strange., Paul Ward

Paul Ward

Painting . 41.9 x 30.5 x 5.1 cm Painting . 16.5 x 12 x 2 inch

£1,827

Painting, Pagoda, Le Nhu Ha

Le Nhu Ha

Painting . 127 x 147.3 x 5.1 cm Painting . 50 x 58 x 2 inch

£6,342

Painting, Ischia, Léopold Survage

Léopold Survage

Painting . 45 x 55 x 0.2 cm Painting . 17.7 x 21.7 x 0.1 inch

£7,545

Painting, Gate 3, Valentina Grilli

Valentina Grilli

Painting . 34.5 x 52.3 x 4 cm Painting . 13.6 x 20.6 x 1.6 inch

£1,438

Painting, Swimming pool, Meleo

Meleo

Painting . 49 x 32 x 8 cm Painting . 19.3 x 12.6 x 3.1 inch

£1,243

Painting, Décantation, Monkeybird

Monkeybird

Painting . 77.5 x 36.7 x 1.5 cm Painting . 30.5 x 14.4 x 0.6 inch

£2,308

Design, Radius, Olivier Moravik

Olivier Moravik

Design . 42 x 100 x 38 cm Design . 16.5 x 39.4 x 15 inch

£7,101

Painting, Ten Bells, Logan Hicks

Logan Hicks

Painting . 77 x 57 x 0.01 cm Painting . 30.3 x 22.4 x 0 inch

£1,332

Painting, Misty House, Lana Devidze

Lana Devidze

Painting . 59.5 x 49.5 x 1.6 cm Painting . 23.4 x 19.5 x 0.6 inch

£888

Painting, Chinitas, Nigel Bailey

Nigel Bailey

Painting . 40.3 x 40.3 x 0.4 cm Painting . 15.9 x 15.9 x 0.2 inch

£910

Sculpture, S Portrait, Joël Froment

Joël Froment

Sculpture . 34 x 24 x 4 cm Sculpture . 13.4 x 9.4 x 1.6 inch

£1,243

Painting, North Island, Clara Duch

Clara Duch

Painting . 80 x 60 x 2.5 cm Painting . 31.5 x 23.6 x 1 inch

£1,775

Fine Art Drawings, Lorgues, Francine Ledieu

Francine Ledieu

Fine Art Drawings . 50 x 65 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.7 x 25.6 x 0 inch

£3,373

Photography, Havane I, Djamel Djebbour

Djamel Djebbour

Photography . 80 x 120 x 3 cm Photography . 31.5 x 47.2 x 1.2 inch

£5,326

Painting, Etimos, Paolo Grimaldi

Paolo Grimaldi

Painting . 24 x 30 cm Painting . 9.4 x 11.8 inch

£3,906

Print, Le marais, Topolino

Topolino

Print . 37 x 48 x 0.5 cm Print . 14.6 x 18.9 x 0.2 inch

£178

Painting, Aldaba, Josefa Sanz del Amo

Josefa Sanz del Amo

Painting . 32.5 x 35 x 0.1 cm Painting . 12.8 x 13.8 x 0 inch

£1,154

Photography, Mirror, Maciej Leszczynski

Maciej Leszczynski

Photography . 18 x 28 cm Photography . 7.1 x 11 inch

£311

Print, Ship & Bladebone, Janmar

Janmar

Print . 65 x 100 x 1 cm Print . 25.6 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

£1,598

Painting, New York, Mario Garcia Miro

Mario Garcia Miro

Painting . 91 x 126 x 3 cm Painting . 35.8 x 49.6 x 1.2 inch

£5,819

Fine Art Drawings, City of sky, Junya Wang

Junya Wang

Fine Art Drawings . 70 x 46 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 27.6 x 18.1 x 0.4 inch

£1,775

Photography, NL #06, Charles Weber

Charles Weber

Photography . 70 x 70 cm Photography . 27.6 x 27.6 inch

£2,308

Painting, Baalbek, Alain Bordier

Alain Bordier

Painting . 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting . 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

£3,551

Painting, Cascade, Anna Krtshatsyan

Anna Krtshatsyan

Painting . 125 x 145 x 2 cm Painting . 49.2 x 57.1 x 0.8 inch

£1,420 £1,278

Fine Art Drawings, Tsaritsyno, Simon Kozhin

Simon Kozhin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 28 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 11 x 0 inch

£2,002

Painting, Museum, Slav Nedev

Slav Nedev

Painting . 59.9 x 136.9 x 2 cm Painting . 23.6 x 53.9 x 0.8 inch

£4,472