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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Subcategories

Architecture

Arches

City

Selo V

Central Park

C. Z. Guest

San Francisco Haze

Golden Gate Bay

Chris Morin-Eitner - Paris Opéra, Une Saison Au Paradis

Chris Morin-Eitner - Paris, Grand Palais

Collection Rêveries d'automne - "Corridor in yellow"

Autumn Lviv

Tower of Babel

Poloca #2

Ideal Power Vienna

Royal Albert Hall

Geometria Cattedrale

Italian courtyard

Tour rouge

Notre maison

Rooftop Pool

Regard de St Eustache

Harmony

Nightshio

A few houses

Etude 17

Santa Maria della Salute

Basilica of San Marco

The Cove

Printemps 56241

Dans la cité de Riomaggiore. Cinque Terre. Italie

Winter

On the cloud No.2

Modest Mouse The Lonesome Crowded - West Tower

Ciudad supuesta XX

New-York IX

Dream Builder

Suburban Pressure

Glass Houses

Woods of Strife 06

Azure coast dream

Magic lights in Istanbul I

The Lonely House

Museo ad hoc

Palm House

Il Vittoriano

Manhattan bridge

Stahl House

N°80.160-1 14 (NG05)

Obey Broadcasting (Dance Floor Riot)

Rooms we never left

Urban_Mirrors_Frankfurt_002

Together through time

When time stands still

Unchartered Waters of Love

Reflections of Serenity

Poolside Ladies

US beach

We Know It

Amsterdam

Destino

Stories #2

L'heure bleue

La Maison sur la Plage

London, Evening Promise

Circular

Inagawa AM