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, Enuma Elish 3, Alex Colard

Alex Colard

Painting . 200 x 200 x 2 cm Painting . 78.7 x 78.7 x 0.8 inch

£8,000

Photography, Kindly, Jeffrey Czum

Jeffrey Czum

Photography . 76.2 x 61 cm Photography . 30 x 24 inch

£1,789

Fine Art Drawings, Casas de Palma, Reyner

Reyner

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

£621

Photography, Venice #6, William Stewart

William Stewart

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

£323

Photography, NL #82, Charles Weber

Charles Weber

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

£2,308

Photography, Science Museum, Javier Molina

Javier Molina

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

£409

Photography, 38 Flats, Barry Cawston

Barry Cawston

Photography . 82 x 90 x 2 cm Photography . 32.3 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch

£1,455

Photography, La Jalberterie, Barry Cawston

Barry Cawston

Photography . 90 x 69 x 2 cm Photography . 35.4 x 27.2 x 0.8 inch

£1,455

Photography, Vende Se, Barry Cawston

Barry Cawston

Photography . 90 x 69 x 2 cm Photography . 35.4 x 27.2 x 0.8 inch

£1,671

Photography, Coat Napoli, Barry Cawston

Barry Cawston

Photography . 90 x 69 x 2 cm Photography . 35.4 x 27.2 x 0.8 inch

£1,455

Photography, America, Barry Cawston

Barry Cawston

Photography . 75 x 90 x 2 cm Photography . 29.5 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch

£2,101

Sculpture, Abri 6, Grégoire Lavigne

Grégoire Lavigne

Sculpture . 21 x 53 x 33 cm Sculpture . 8.3 x 20.9 x 13 inch

£577

Print, Talenti Park, Lucio Forte

Lucio Forte

Print . 29.7 x 42 x 0.2 cm Print . 11.7 x 16.5 x 0.1 inch

£71

Painting, 5th Avenue Uptown, Garner

Garner

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

£4,438

Print, W 5, Lucio Forte

W 5

Lucio Forte

Print . 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Print . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch

£67

Painting, Waterford.ie, Eire

Eire

Painting . 60 x 60 x 1.8 cm Painting . 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.7 inch

£355

Print, Dingo 1, Lucio Forte

Lucio Forte

Print . 29 x 29 x 0.1 cm Print . 11.4 x 11.4 x 0 inch

£58

Photography, Visionaire, Eduardo Rezende

Eduardo Rezende

Photography . 140 x 95.8 x 0.3 cm Photography . 55.1 x 37.7 x 0.1 inch

£5,692

Fine Art Drawings, Surface, Timi O

Timi O

Fine Art Drawings . 31 x 23 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.2 x 9.1 x 0 inch

£236

Painting, Golden wind, Ludovic Mercher

Ludovic Mercher

Painting . 81 x 130 x 2.5 cm Painting . 31.9 x 51.2 x 1 inch

£1,065

Painting, Warm March, Egor Shvachunov

Egor Shvachunov

Painting . 28 x 35 x 2 cm Painting . 11 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

£271

Fine Art Drawings, Ruine normande, Frank De Blok

Frank De Blok

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

£107

Photography, This blue dream, Rodrigo

Rodrigo

Photography . 25.9 x 34.5 x 0.1 cm Photography . 10.2 x 13.6 x 0 inch

£620

Painting, Enuma Elish 2, Alex Colard

Alex Colard

Painting . 120 x 200 x 3 cm Painting . 47.2 x 78.7 x 1.2 inch

£6,730

Painting, Prague -Love, Sona Adalyan

Sona Adalyan

Painting . 42 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting . 16.5 x 11.8 x 0 inch

£169

Print, Kharkiv, Tetiana Ocheredko

Tetiana Ocheredko

Print . 39 x 53 x 0.1 cm Print . 15.4 x 20.9 x 0 inch

£325

Painting, Barfleur, Jacques Guillet

Jacques Guillet

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

£533

Photography, Dialogue 01, Matthieu Venot

Matthieu Venot

Photography . 50 x 62.5 x 0.1 cm Photography . 19.7 x 24.6 x 0 inch

£1,065

Painting, Old Paris, Kamsar Ohanyan

Kamsar Ohanyan

Painting . 40 x 50 x 3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

£355

Painting, Morning, Kamsar Ohanyan

Kamsar Ohanyan

Painting . 40 x 50 x 4 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch

£399

Painting, Street View, Sona Adalyan

Sona Adalyan

Painting . 25 x 18 x 2 cm Painting . 9.8 x 7.1 x 0.8 inch

£257