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, Selo - Moirans, Ivan Tzonev

Ivan Tzonev

Painting . 50 x 50 x 4 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch

£266

Painting, Urbain 8, Nathalie Guerre

Nathalie Guerre

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

£133

Fine Art Drawings, L'escale, Karin Boinet

Karin Boinet

Fine Art Drawings . 29.7 x 21 x 0.01 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

£550

Photography, #10, Julien Espiaut

#10

Julien Espiaut

Photography . 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Photography . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

£169

Fine Art Drawings, Mirage, Martine Camillieri

Martine Camillieri

Fine Art Drawings . 26 x 18 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 10.2 x 7.1 x 0 inch

£426

Fine Art Drawings, Antwerp, 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

£688

Fine Art Drawings, Brugge, 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

£688

Photography, NYC, Jean-François Levere

NYC

Jean-François Levere

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

£701

Fine Art Drawings, The Villas Secret, Nora Shade

Nora Shade

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 42 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 16.5 x 0 inch

£203

Fine Art Drawings, Waiting at Noon, Nora Shade

Nora Shade

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

£203

Fine Art Drawings, Tuscan Silence, Nora Shade

Nora Shade

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

£203

Fine Art Drawings, Silent Drift, Nora Shade

Nora Shade

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

£203

Photography, Gravité, Alexis Duclos

Alexis Duclos

Photography . 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch

£604

Painting, Tower, Shulyak Tatyana

Shulyak Tatyana

Painting . 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

£439

Painting, Summer day, Shapoval Ivan

Shapoval Ivan

Painting . 50 x 67 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 26.4 x 0.8 inch

£524

Painting, Archive, Ed Potapenkov

Ed Potapenkov

Painting . 120 x 150 x 2 cm Painting . 47.2 x 59.1 x 0.8 inch

£2,485

Photography, The Way Home 4, Inji Woo

Inji Woo

Photography . 40.64 x 60.96 x 1 cm Photography . 16 x 24 x 0.4 inch

£577

Painting, Enuma Elish 8, Alex Colard

Alex Colard

Painting . 60 x 180 x 3 cm Painting . 23.6 x 70.9 x 1.2 inch

£4,682

Fine Art Drawings, Segesta Temple, Lucio Forte

Lucio Forte

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 26.5 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 10.4 x 0 inch

£107

Painting, Insider, Richard Szkutnik

Richard Szkutnik

Painting . 25.4 x 33 x 0.5 cm Painting . 10 x 13 x 0.2 inch

£520

Fine Art Drawings, Progreso, Reyner

Reyner

Fine Art Drawings . 29 x 19 x 0.03 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.4 x 7.5 x 0 inch

£621

Painting, Croatia II, Sona Adalyan

Sona Adalyan

Painting . 20 x 20 x 2 cm Painting . 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

£231

Photography, NL #15, Charles Weber

Charles Weber

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

£2,308

Print, N.Y., Luis Fernández

Luis Fernández

Print . 90 x 70 cm Print . 35.4 x 27.6 inch

£355

Painting, Haut perché, Plok

Plok

Painting . 80 x 80 x 5 cm Painting . 31.5 x 31.5 x 2 inch

£2,841

Photography, #2, Julien Espiaut

#2

Julien Espiaut

Photography . 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Photography . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

£169