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

Le Phare sur la Digue, 1908 | Promenade and Lighthouse, 1908

Composition 307

North Atlantic

Beyond the Rocks

Afternoon Light

Moved Out

Brant Point

Hotel in the City

Snow Covered Church

Abstract Skyscrapers

Cloud services

Blue blue blue

Building in TaiKoo Hong Kong

Sans titre 16

Notre-Dame et bateau mouche

Impossible Walls

N° 998 La nausée

Desnos-Nerval 2001

N° 982 Gaspard de la nuit.

N° 602 La Commanderie 1.

Sunset & Vine Billboard

Cafe in the Favela

Glass Wall

Beach house

Quatre Points

Bureau Vu Exterieur

Barca

Parisian Night Glow

Poolside Dreams

Poolside Host

Poolside Socialites

Near the traffic light

Evening Mont Saint Michel

Untitled. From The Durero Series

Soft yellow window

New York City Silver

Moonshine in spring

This is the season of the witch

River in winter

Windy autumn

Greek beach window

Hotel by the lake

Mirror of vibrance

Dream of sea and color

The Fiddler On The Roof

Fifth Avenue

Abstract city

Dans la cité de Riomaggiore. de nuit Cinque Terre. Italie

Riomaggiore. Cinque Terre. Italie 2

Cinque terre. Riomaggiore. Italie

Abandoned room

Castle walls

Le jardin oublié IV

Le Panthéon (vue de la rue Valette)

Une histoire de toits 1

Castellans, triptych

Italian street of Korcula. Croatia

On boats through the city streets

Pink corner

Eenie Meenie Miney

Solo lamp

Red House in Yerevan

Mediterrain facade

Balconies on a row

Sunset reflections

Home gardener