Architecture
Architecture is a science, art, and technique of planning, designing, and building structures on the landscape of earth – and is different from the skills employed in constructions of those structures. As an art form, architecture is a way in which we express ourselves and ideas on the earth’s environment. As with other art forms, architectural process, design, and the final products are subject to cultural, technological, and stylistic changes.
Architectural products, such as buildings, dams, and stadiums, are typically seen as cultural perceptions and symbols expressed in the form of art. These works don’t just offer up protection, workspaces, or shelter; they also represent cultural and human ideals.
Deservedly nicknamed the “Kiev flying saucer” or “Kiev UFO,” the Kiev Institute of Information is an authentic work of modernist architecture that stole the limelight during the Soviet era. This awe-inspiring, alien-like piece of Soviet architecture has again come to the spotlight because it is being threatened by the mushrooming of modern shopping malls. Let’s …
Kiev’s UFO – A modernist masterpiece Read More »
The Olimpiiska Station, located in Kyiv, Ukraine, stands in the same spot as the former Ploshchad Lev Tolstoy station. It is a part of the third section of the Kurenevsko-Krasnoarmeyskaya line and was launched just 12 months after the commissioning of the second section. Most of the stations that were built on the Obolon radius …
Olimpiiska – One of Kyiv’s most intriguing metro stations Read More »
Memento is a circular pavilion that was created by Belgian artist Wesley Meuris. This beautiful white pavilion is located on the outskirts of the little Flemish town of Borgloon. Being situated directly on the slope, Memento overlooks the central graveyard found in the medieval city that has been nicknamed Central Burial by the locals. Memento …
Wesley Meuris’ Memento – A place to leave your worries behind Read More »
The Floating Pavilion was a temporary structure exhibited at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum Plaza, Taiwan, in 2016, as the winning design in the annual competition to build pavilions at different spaces in the TFAM complex. The pavilion was designed by Shen Ting Tseng Architects to add vitality to the plaza, which is usually wind-beaten …
A floating pavilion in Taipei – By Shen Ting Tseng Architects Read More »
As far as Brutalist architecture goes, the Centro de Exposições da Bahía Building, more commonly known as the Exhibition Center of the Administrative Center of Bahía, is a perfect example. Designed in 1974 by Brazilian architect João Filgueiras Lima, more frequently known as Lelé, this amphitheater was designed to accommodate at least 50 individuals. Brutalist …
João Filgueiras Lima’s Bahía exhibition center – A brutalist classic Read More »
The Torres de Satélite or Satellite Towers are a collection of sculptures installed in the Ciudad Satelite district of Naucalpan in Mexico State, a few kilometers outside Mexico City. They are considered among Mexico’s first large-scale urban sculptures. The monuments were conceived in 1957 by the famous Mexican painter Jesús Reyes Ferreira, architect Luis Barragan, …
Torres de Satélite – The story behind Read More »
For everyone with an interest in design, Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin is a great feast for the eyes and has a pretty interesting story behind it. Austin is a 2715 square feet (252 square meters) building on the grounds of the Blanton Museum of Art. The story behind the building goes that in 1986, Douglass Cramer, …
Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin – NOT a chapel Read More »
Lying off Spain’s Calpe coast is La Muralla Roja (red wall), one of the most eye-catching buildings on the shores of the Mediterranean. It is an apartment block borrowing heavily from the Arab, Greek, and contemporary designs while keeping clean-cut geometric shapes of contemporary architecture. The outer walls are in different hues of red and …
Ricardo Bofill’s eye-catching La Muralla Roja Read More »
Creatives find inspiration from some of the most uninspiring sources. Many of them find ideas from looking at others’ creations. Architects are in this category too. They get their creative juices running from some of life’s regular occurrences. A gas station is the last place you would expect to see creatives basing their work upon. …
Sher Maker transformed a boring gas station into this .. Read More »
Why does the Teshima Art Museum that only hosts a single piece of work by one artist attract art lovers from all over the world? One of the main reasons is perhaps that this clever construction allows the audience a chance to not only look at the art. It lets you experience the buildings and …
Why should you visit the Teshima Art Museum? Read More »
Not Vital is no stranger to success. Throughout his long and illustrious career, he has become synonymous with works that fuse sculpture and architecture to create an almost spiritual experience for his audiences. Vital’s works echo a powerful conflict and link between our understanding of traditional architecture and sculpture, which allows him to come up …
Not Vital’s remote house in Patagonia, Chile Read More »
In a fast-moving and vibrant city, Singaporeans often miss the chance to stop and take in the sights, color, and sounds of the city. Residents in this densely populated city where space is premium do not get many opportunities to enjoy big artforms. With this in mind, the Singapore Institute of Architects unveiled the ‘exhale’ …
DP Architects’ pavilion – A gigantic zero-waste playground Read More »
In his works, Chris Burden goes beyond limits to produce immemorable installations that have revolutionized art. Many of his works involve commitment, hard work, and ethos that bring out metaphoric power akin to his performances. At the Museum of Contemporary art (MOCA), Chris created a revered installation that displays the museums’ foundations. The installation, known …
Chris Burden exposed the foundation of the museum Read More »
Maya Lin (b. 1959 in Ohio) is unquestionably one of the most talented architectural and land artists of our era. While she is well-known for her work on the Vietnam War Memorial, the Wave Field is hands down her best work yet. A three-part land art series, Wave Field is a collection of undulating and …
All three of Maya Lin’s Wave Fields Read More »
In architectural language, a pavilion refers to a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to the main building. Often its function is creating pleasure and providing a place to rest. Pavilions also offer shade to shield us from too much exposure to the sun. All ages and abilities can enjoy …
SelgasCano’s Serpentine Pavilion – Dynamic & almost fragile Read More »
For the 1975 Paris Biennale, Gordon Matta-Clark made big cone-shaped holes in two buildings near the Centre Georges Pompidou. The action took place in Les Halles, a neighborhood that was being demolished. Matta-Clark aimed to permit passers-by to peek through to the Centre Pompidou while it had been under construction. Conical Intersect (1975) was a …
Why Gordon Matta-Clark cut holes in buildings – Conical Intersect Read More »
For the past half-century, Dan Graham, through art, has been on a mission to illustrate the symbiosis that exists between any architectural environment and those that interact with it. Graham has been involved in projects around the world, but his works that provoke the most interest are made from glass and mirrored pavilions. With their …
Dan Graham’s Homes for America – Unlocking the madness Read More »
The Imagine Peace Tower is a memorial crafted by Japanese-American artist and musician Yoko Ono. She created this in tribute for her deceased husband and legendary member of The Beatles, John Lennon. The Imagine Peace Tower is Yoko’s largest work of art to date. It took her three years to develop it alongside her engineers. …
What is Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace Tower all about? Read More »
Minimalism has become more than a fanciful idea or trend. Instead, it’s now a way of life for many people around the world. Sou Fujimoto captures the essence of minimalism through his House H. Through it, the audience gets a chance to see how space is now highly-priced due to its deficiency. You learn a …
Sou Fujimoto’s House H – A reflection of modern Japan Read More »
Ensamble Studio, an architect studio, persisted in finding a balance between architecture, art, local fauna, and the ranching activity in the area. The architects behind Ensamble Studio resorted to natural elements to shape the site-specific architecture in alignment with nature. They worked with the existing material at the art center, from rocks to earth. And …
Architecture Studio Ensamble & their weird & impressive sculptures Read More »
The US-Mexico border wall has become a battleground for political theater, but also various artistic interventions. One of these outstanding artworks is the pink seesaws. They went viral after they were installed by the two creative architects Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello. Between the erect giant steel posts of the border fence lie small …
Why were there seesaws at the border? Read More »