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

Untitled 250

Untitled 246

Nailed it Series No.83

Flatiron in Motion

Evening in San Siro, Lake Como

St Angelo Bridge in Rome

Urban bridge

Vernazza Cinque Terre

Fontaine à Vaison

My village in winter

Magical Amalfi Coast

Les maisons vertes

Still life with Basilique du Sacré-Cœur emerging from an oyster shell, accompanied by soap bubbles and curious onlookers

Apartments

Pont robot

Abandoned diner

London Turquoise and Teal

New York, Green Carpet

Paris, Louvre Passage Richelieu

Paris, Pont Alexandre-III

City sunshine

Narwa 1

Girl power

Green striped wall

Lonely balcony

Yellow wall with lamp

Brooklyn bridge

Tower of power

Hudson River NY

Village de rêve

Paris, Palais zébré

Corridor chess

Paris, Arc II

Paris, Opéra

Ombre et lumière I

Collioure

Quai de Saône

Crossing the Waters of Home

Embracing the Sun

Free falling in Love

You are what Dreams are made of

Ocean view

Golden wind

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

Royal Albert Hall

Geometria Cattedrale

Italian courtyard

Tour rouge

Notre maison

Rooftop Pool

Regard de St Eustache

Harmony

Nightshio

A few houses