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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Photography, 22 Bishopsgate, Guy Sargent

Guy Sargent

Photography . 100 x 70 x 0.2 cm Photography . 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.1 inch

£607

Photography, The Watchtower, Guy Sargent

Guy Sargent

Photography . 100 x 70 x 0.2 cm Photography . 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.1 inch

£598

Fine Art Drawings, Florence, Nigel Bailey

Nigel Bailey

Fine Art Drawings . 35.6 x 27.9 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 14 x 11 x 0 inch

£686

Photography, Gaze, Nilgun Sezgin

Nilgun Sezgin

Photography . 60 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography . 23.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch

£221

Fine Art Drawings, Balcon sur rive, Quentin Badran

Quentin Badran

Fine Art Drawings . 42 x 29 x 0.01 cm Fine Art Drawings . 16.5 x 11.4 x 0 inch

£6,642

Photography, Path to the Sea, Arantza NT

Arantza NT

Photography . 40 x 30 x 0.01 cm Photography . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

£170

Photography, Pink Old House, Kat Zhivetin

Kat Zhivetin

Photography . 40.5 x 30.5 x 0.1 cm Photography . 15.9 x 12 x 0 inch

£244

Painting, Blue Paris, Ivan Pylypenko

Ivan Pylypenko

Painting . 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

£406

Photography, Carrelet, Nicolas Issaly

Nicolas Issaly

Photography . 90 x 60 x 3 cm Photography . 35.4 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

£1,293

Painting, Morning, Ivan Pylypenko

Ivan Pylypenko

Painting . 50 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

£365

Painting, Holiday, Pavlenko Leonid

Pavlenko Leonid

Painting . 75 x 65 x 2 cm Painting . 29.5 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch

£469

Print, La solitude, Peter Klasen

Peter Klasen

Print . 50 x 70 x 0.2 cm Print . 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.1 inch

£354

Painting, Castle, Pavlenko Leonid

Pavlenko Leonid

Painting . 60 x 70 x 2 cm Painting . 23.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

£447

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

£3,365

Painting, Mleta, Tengiz Cholokava

Tengiz Cholokava

Painting . 18 x 23 x 1 cm Painting . 7.1 x 9.1 x 0.4 inch

£328

Painting, Hemostasis, Dyala Khodary

Dyala Khodary

Painting . 191 x 160 x 5 cm Painting . 75.2 x 63 x 2 inch

£10,539

Painting, Aurora, Rinalds Vanadzins

Rinalds Vanadzins

Painting . 84.8 x 61 x 0.8 cm Painting . 33.4 x 24 x 0.3 inch

£925