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

N°1151

If Only You Knew the Power of the Dark Side

Protocol Droid

The sky begins behind the house

North Atlantic

Beyond the Rocks

Afternoon Light

Moved Out

Fragments de mémoire 2

Evening Venice

Brooklyn Bridge at sunset

Sleepy Village

Lanterns Bonanza in Osaka

Unknown World No.7

Portal

The flying Dutchman opera

Cubic #4

Voyage voyage

Bientôt les vacances

Lighthouse

The house of the cat

La Grande Dame (Vue 7, vue du Champs de Mars)

Arc de Triomphe de la Libertay

Statue de la liberté

Untitled

Untitled

Chair

23 Flats

Orange Factory

La librairie en bois brun

Blooming Bougainvillea in Old Cyprus village

Golden Sky

La solitude

Hollywood

Chicago

Tous les Chemins y mènent

Ombrage au Lac

Valangin Portail

Selo - 3

The Bright Sun Of Winter.

Malibu 2

Babylone 2

Selo-U

Le petit village

Afternoon sun on ancient architecture

Empire State

1004 Windows

The Red Bench

Manhattan Hudson River

Soir bleu sur Montmartre

Golden domes behind the trees

Golden baths

Ombres nocturnes

N° 1244 Jéricho, Jéricho !

N°1242 Bet She’an. Scythopolis 1.

N° 1234 Saint-Jean d'acre 1

N° 1232 Césarée, Cesarea

Réappropriation5

Marrakech - Fine art print

N° 1220 Talmont. Eglise Sainte Radegonde.

N° 1197. Entracte. Jardinière 3.

N° 1193 Rochefort. Au musée de...

N° 1190 Aix. La maison de rêve

N° 1117 Belgrade 14. Eglise orthodoxe de Saint-Sava A

N° 1105 Belgrade 2. Kafeterija Magazin. A

N° 1181 Ile d'Aix. Eglise abbatiale. Place de Verdun.