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

Passage du Maison

Honfleur

Casa al mare

Fête de village avec ramasseur de broussailles

Basilique Santa Maria della Salute, Grand Canal, Venise

Paysage au vieux pont

Village de montagne

Mazots à Zermatt

Visione Veneziana

The Farmhouse

Landscape with a Village

Landscape

The Lounge

Afternoon Run, Embarcadero

Chalets et patûrage

Paysage animé

Paysage des Alpes Suisse

Chapelle du XVII°s Maria Zum Schnee

Le Brassus, Vallée De Joux

Havana Facades

Etude de bateau

Paysage italien avec pont

Pont de Zurich avec vue sur la rivière Limmat

Paysage de montagne avec chalets

Balade des cygnes

En gare de Satigny, Genève

Rome

La procession

Plongeurs

Architecture

Blumental IV

New York Glitter

Cour intérieure

Daydreams

Théâtre Rouge

Venise

Confinement

Royal Red

Sans titre

Bonaparte

Autumn Sun, Walkers

Seminterrato

Spiral Stairwell

Procesos Nº5

Paris et nuages roses - La Tour Eiffel

San Giorgio Maggiore

Graduation Day, Rockefeller Chapel, UChicago, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Memento I

Sans Titre I, série Deco

The Big Apple

City of sky

Esquisse

Double Life

Untitled

1971 Constructivisme

Tour Eiffel 5

Chinatown in D.C

Rumbo bench

The Tower

#3400 I. "o.T."

Il jouait du piano debout

Grand central station

Chicago #5

Village dans la vallée

Les Jardins du Trocadéro

Chartres dans les colzas