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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Good morning NYC

Manège

Balade dans le Vieux Annecy

Dead city

La roulotte bancale

Zouin My Maroc #2

Illuminated

Architectural Abstract 1

Scene With A Baby Jumper

Meares and Cook Victoria

San Francisco, Bay Bridge golfer

Miami Circles 01

Untitled 2 from the series of INtheVISIBLE, 2013

The invisible map bronze edition

Blue sky 1977 Ciel bleu Harmonie et Fracture

Untitled

Downtown 1

Diptyque mécanique

NY by night Manhattan

Rome

Arco del triunfo Triptych. From The Durero series

Great Wall

1999 Paris Rue de Lanneau Quartier Latin

Le Moulin de la Galette

Juice bar

Utopia Ermetica

Antique funky London

Honfleur

Urban Patterns - 5-panels

When you leave

Bateau à marée basse 2

Corn at Night

Diaphanes

Pelekapina

You Have Big Plans

La Catedral, Santiago de Compostela

Piazza del Popolo

Landscape

M132

Florence

Port de Barcelone

Dans les buildings

Rome from the Pincio

Notre-Dame de Paris

Ardent

A Rainy Day in Yerevan

Dimanche pluvieux

Aan de Amsterdamse Grachten III

Untitled

Shadow and Tree

After Dark

Composition II

Ropas

Jungle

Inverosimile no.3

Sightseeing

Près de l'étoile

Brooklyn

Christ-Elle

Structure Urbaine 33

Le Quai de Seine à Paris - série bords de Seine

Intérieur du XIXe

Villa Rachelle

Le Sacré coeur - Paris et son architecture

La porte d'or, Place Stanislas, Nancy