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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Architecture

Molles

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Darren Sunday

Untitled 262

Soft yellow window

Closed for now

Greek beach window

Hotel by the lake

Blue Pearl

Le Retour

Chairman Mao’s Long Journey, Building the Guggenheim

Cut-Up Paper I.21

Coral Oasis

Pink corner

Eenie Meenie Miney

Solo lamp

Mediterrain facade

Balconies on a row

Sunset reflections

Home gardener

Reflections

Italie acqua dolce. Entre murs colorés et ruelles

La Menace I

Paris, Opéra

N° 890 Le château de Fortis.

Appearance-G-19-II

Cycles IV

Autumn Equinox

First Snow

Majorelle #32

Trop chaud - collection spéciale Grands Formats

Penumbra

Les heures mauves

Window

Leaning Man

Chicago, Old and New

The Symphony Of Us

Buddha of Richmond Castle

Fondamenta Degli Incurabili

N° 1257 Jérusalem. Monastère Deir es-Sultan.

Temporal Perception # 45

Le printemps, lithographie originale avec un passage au carborundum

Night on the Great Wall

Trompe l'oeil, Les Falaises du Trocadéro, 19 mai 2021, Paris, France (JR 1-4)

l'Ile Rousse, lithographie originale

Tour Eiffel #3

Selo - R

Marrakech - Ancient Walls

Neglected Roof Tiles

Format #660

Untitled 250

Untitled 246

Nailed it Series No.83

Flatiron in Motion

Evening in San Siro, Lake Como

St Angelo Bridge in Rome

Urban bridge

Vernazza Cinque Terre

My village in winter

Magical Amalfi Coast

Les maisons vertes

Still life with Basilique du Sacré-Cœur emerging from an oyster shell, accompanied by soap bubbles and curious onlookers

Pont robot

Abandoned diner

London Turquoise and Teal

Chris Morin-Eitner - Paris, Fenêtre sur Ville