There is a definition of beauty in everyone’s mind. There is a perception of physical art that changes from person to person. Anything that is creative and practically achieved in a physical form is referred to as ‘Art’.
So, isn’t Architecture an Art?
Every piece of delicate art needs room to be displayed and what inspires a person to engage in that room is the Architecture of that space! There were several movements in the history that used Art and Architecture as a medium to reach people. It was a medium to make a difference! Moreover, buildings became a medium to display the emotions of the people along with the art and sculpture. Architects encapsulated the thoughts of people and translated them into lines. Art was displayed more in the experiential form than visual as people found it a subtle way of expression of their ideologies. Years passed and technology entered the picture of the design world. Technology simplified the complicated niches of Architecture but slowly took away the beautified essence of the built culture.
Architecture became practical than the poetic exploration of ideas. Architecture became functional than the piece of Art which narrated a story.
History of Art and Architecture:
We have known both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional art for centuries and interpretation of these Art forms has reflected the expression of ‘people’.
Along with the paintings of Ajanta and Ellora, Architectural beauty is admired for its intricacy and accuracy. Along with the Artwork and sculptures found in Mesopotamia, the planning and design of the entire civilization still mesmerize the 21st-century planners. It is Architecture that has housed the Art and its history but still maintaining its own sanctity!
Focusing on the Architectural and Art movements in history, there were more expressive design movements than classic artistic ones that inspired the population to unite and work together. There were ornamental designs which gained extreme popularity and attention from all over the world.
Then came more modernist Ideologies in design and construction. Modern building Materials started making its own place in the design book and thus modernism, minimalism and Neo-futurism walked their own journeys into the 21st century. There is a missing original charm while exploring modernist streets anywhere in the world and that is because of the international approach towards design and architecture.
The originality of place, culture, tradition, and lifestyle does not reflect in our buildings anymore!
What is the future of Art and Architecture?
Like any other theory, there is a need for urgent ‘pause’ in the regional design language so that we can reflect back our authentic styles of design and living. Museums can again be built with elements that would reflect the local lifestyle of people. Commercial complexes can be built to incorporate the habits of people and their culture.
There is a need to unlearn all the international styles of design and merge those theories with local and regional requirements.
The buildings we build today are going to be a part of tomorrow’s history! True.
Can we imagine our current buildings to be masterpieces of tomorrow’s history?
Is there relevance of place?
Do they reflect the culture and lifestyle of people?
Can we differentiate our current buildings on the basis of the functions they were built to serve?
As artists, we always strive hard to think out of the box but how far our imagination takes us is another complex question.
Reinforcing Vernacular techniques can be one answer to solve this problem. There are many designers who build Architecture as a form of art with reference to its state of the situation and that is our way forward. Otherwise, how would our world look like 25 years from now? All glass skyscrapers and steel fabrications in every corner of the world we go? All brutalist Art and sculpture displayed in a plain white room with a wooden floor?
No, Architecture is more than that! Art is more than that!
There is a story that needs to be told and it needs to be done with the help of our buildings.
Art and Architecture have the power of influencing people around us. We have fairly ignored that thread connecting the community to the buildings and that is one reason why there is an absence of expression in our localities. The answers lie beneath the glass floor. Break it and you will see the ‘People and their culture!’ This will help us revive the Art of building Architecture!
