Topic > What is Architecture

A simple question like this has the ability to turn the head and raise foggy thoughts that baffle the mind, and strangely enough, an exact answer has never been agreed upon to this day. However, most people approve of it being an art form. As Frank Lloyd Wright once said: “The mother art is architecture. Without our own architecture we do not have the soul of our civilization. ”To begin with, architecture can be compared to various art forms such as music, painting and sculpture, but are they really similar? Of course, rhythm; aesthetics; harmony; proportions; and patterns are obviously a common factor, but to what extent can the previously mentioned characteristics be implied without being stopped by a set of limits and boundaries? The answer is: not that much. Yes, architecture can be seen as an art form. It's more like a mirror that reflects the way architects express their ideas. For example, Frank Gehry's iconic Dancing House makes people wonder how the tilted structure is stable enough to stand perfectly on the ground independently; and the same goes for Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum with its magnificent spiral exterior. Furthermore, the shiny metallic surfaces of Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall radiate uniqueness and magnetize visitors with their beauty; last but not least, the way Zaha Hadid's wonderful Heydar Alijev Cultural Center seems to bend effortlessly is enough to give you an idea of ​​what she thinks of beauty in terms of architecture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay However, there are always questions lingering in many thoughtful minds: “Is architecture simply sculpture – the three-dimensional composition of forms in space? Is it the application of aesthetic considerations to the form of buildings – the art of making buildings beautiful? Is it the introduction of poetic meaning into buildings? Is it the ordering of buildings according to some intellectual system – classicism, functionalism, postmodernism…? ” (unwin, 2014). The definitive answer is: it's a mixture of both. The aesthetics of a building have the power to transform it into a landmark or symbol where an entire country or even a continent could be remembered with a simple glance – of course it depends on the intelligence of the architect. But visitors won't stand in front of a building admiring its elevation for that long; in fact, it only takes a few seconds to click on an image and save it forever. What really matters is the function that the building offers; the journey from the car park to the entrance, for example; above all, the circulation that makes the visit useful or destroys it. Furthermore, there is no doubt that many have come across the statement that “architecture is the design of buildings” (unwin, 2014), which weakens – or even destroys – the true meaning behind architecture, throwing all the concepts and studies with which the architect struggled for years to obtain an optimal design in the given conditions. The mere thought of seeing architecture as an immobile object, like a wardrobe – which loses its value after a long period of use, only to be replaced by a replacement – ​​brings so much disrespect to all architects in the world and it degrades them. Architecture has never been just an 'object' and never will be. It is a refuge, an experience, a social place of interaction and a journey to be embraced while it lasts. To add, this quote: “In musicology it can be said that the architecture of a symphony is the conceptual organization of its parts into a whole, its intellectual structure”(unwin, 2014), turns minds upside down. Isn't it ironic that this definition, linked to music, is much clearer than the famous definition of architecture itself? In fact, it even describes the architecture behind the buildings perfectly. Isn't it also funny how some people limit architecture to buildings and objects, but at the same time use it in other contexts – as shown before, regarding music – to imply that something is more complex and sophisticated than it seems? Sometimes you can spot people who call themselves "food architects"; Doesn't this at least give a hint to those ignorant minds that the word "architecture" can refer to the beauty of an object's complexity, structure, colors and surfaces? It denotes some characteristics that revolve around the object; the feelings induced by the way a certain thing is resolved and managed. Furthermore, by opening old history books and traveling back in time where buildings did not exist, architecture still existed. It could be symbolized by a specific area of ​​land where people sought refuge and modified it in their own way to suit their own activities and purposes; it has become a way and a style of life. For example, people lost on a desert island will try to survive in unthinkable ways and attempt to build a home in the hard, dry sands. After a while you can clearly see numerous segregated and assigned areas: a place to eat, sleep, sit and much more. This was actually the birth of vernacular architecture – the basis of architecture as a whole – where homes were created through natural instincts, common sense and the power of the mind, using whatever materials were present at the time. It was and still is the identity of a place; just as people have names, parents and birth dates, homes have designers, builders and dates of construction. If walls and partitions were built around these areas and a roof was placed on top, a building would be formed. Survival turned into a need and then turned into a desire; people began to desire the essence of beauty and the logic of function, and that is how architecture became a profession. Returning to the first point mentioned at the beginning of this article, many classify architecture under "art" along with professions such as music and painting, without realizing that there is a significant difference between them. Music and paintings are a sweet way to escape life, while architecture is a bittersweet means of coping with it. Not only that, but the techniques and methods applied in music and painting are also infinite, unlike architecture where many considerations are taken into account. It unites art and science under one roof, banishing full control over imagination and reality. Gravity, the orientation of the building, the angle of the sun, public infrastructure, the overall layout of the surrounding buildings, the surrounding environment and many other endless factors are taken into consideration before even drawing a line on the floor plan. This is a life-changing design implementation for the real world, for real uses like shopping, education, living and more. It is a structure for people gifted with the five senses who need adequate spaces for different life practices. Perhaps some artists might argue that their artwork can be interpreted incorrectly or that it will not convey exactly the desired feeling, unlike architects who have the ability to do so in the palm of their hands. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay..