Is architecture considered a form of art?

I think so. Some of the most beautiful art I’ve seen is in the architecture of Italy.

I think so.
Picture a Frank Loyd Wright home, or a beautiful Queen Ann.
How about an Art Deco Sky Scraper? A log cabin on the edge of a woods, or a cathedral.
The Great Pyramids.

Yes.

I consider it art. One of my many passions is architecture.
Think about what it takes to design a house or building or bridge or the likes.
Look at things like Cathedrals, Taj Mahal, Florence Italy, Woolworth Building in NY, FLWright designs.

Absolutely! And if you have the slightest doubt about it, read and watch the movie “The Fountainhead.”

Yes…very much so. I also think it is becoming a lost art. You don’t see much of the glorious structures that were built over the Centuries. Now most of what you get is cheaply built boring boxes.

I would agree. There are beautiful buildings out there that are most definitely awe-inspiring. I recall many times when I was visiting a new area, and stopped to appreciate the architecture of a building. I`ve done the same with bridges.

It is the perfect marriage of art and engineering.

I definitely think so.

Yes.

Yes, which is why I’m becoming an architect. Which is not to say that every cement block with a store in it is art, but how is this or this not art?

Considering the beauty, form & function of the architecture of the sculptural Milwaukee Art Museum YES!

It undoubtedly should be but I don’t think it always is.

Yes.
These two are my favorite. :)

Architecture is absolutely considered to be art. But just like with any art form, there are good and bad examples. And once again, good architecture, like any other art form, is in the eye of the beholder.

Here’s some of my favorite pieces of architecture:

The Wayfarer’s Chapel by Frank Lloyd Wright in Palos Verdes, CA

The Gamble House by Greene and Greene in Pasadena, CA

The Crystal Cathedral Interior and exterior by Philip Johnson in Garden Grove, CA

The Space Needle by Edward Carlson, John Graham and Victor Steinbrueck in Seattle WA

The Encounter Restaurant at LAX by Paul Williams in Los Angeles, CA

Yes. I used to live in Racine, WI. Where Frank Lloyd Wright was from (I think) & got to see many things he designed and it was very beautiful. Did you know that the S.E.Johnson a Family Corp. building was built by him?

@Axemusica I did not know that. I recently went to Los Angeles to the Hollyhock House it was really cool. I’d love to see Falling Water someday.

I’ve also seen a building which is part of the Institute of Mentalphysics Retreat in Joshua Tree, in Yucca Valley, CA that was designed by Lloyd Wright (Frank’s son) that was really beautiful. Unfortunately it was being renovated when I went there, so I couldn’t go inside.

That Hollyhock House looks like something out Jurassic Park, lol. S.C. Johnson Wax more pictures of the facility.

You could walk through the neighborhoods and could tell which houses were a Wright design. I swear I’ve seen a house exactly like this but it was in racine.

I also lived in Tempe, AZ (Metro area of Phoenix) and drove by this nearly everyday. When I was in a band living there my singer lived by this. The Theatre was down the street from this upside down pyramid which I always thought was a Wright design, but it’s not, but still very cool in terms or architecture.

For me, yes, it is an art form.

I love all kinds of structures, from simple farmhouses to the Taj Mahal.

Not that I find every single building I’ve ever seen, comes to mind; however, take me on a tour of an older city and let me see the buildings and I’m a happy person. The lines, flow and design of a building are something I really appreciate.

@cak Not sure where you live, but downtown Los Angeles is a treasure trove of really old and really new (and everything in between) architecture. My brother and I are kind of architecture geeks (only he has the knowlege to go with it, I just like what I see and have no idea about the history or the architects like my brother does). We’ve taken several trips, recently, to downtown Los Angeles and my eyes were popping out of my head. It was like an architectural wet dream (pardon my French). So we parked in a pay lot, which was about $8 for a whole day and then we just started walking.

We saw:
Los Angeles Cathedral which was breathtaking inside, especially when the pipe organ started playing.

And the Central Los Angeles High School #9 for the Visual and Performing Arts which looks like a giant robot.

The Los Angeles City Hall which doubled as Superman’s workplace, the Daily Planet.

The Disney Concert Hall a marvel in stainless steel

And the Bradbury building a fine example of Victorian architecture that was built in 1893 and has more recently been featured in movies such as Bladerunner.

And Los Angeles Union Station one of the most beautiful, recently refurbished train stations in the country.

While we were in downtown L.A. we had lunch at Philippe’s one of the oldest restaurants in the city, and birthplace of the French dipped roast beef sandwich. It’s right down the street from Union Station.

@Kardamom: What you described is a perfect day. I won’t be in California again, until fall and it’s been some time. Union Station is breathtaking. I’ve been to Philippe’s, I just love the character that comes from the entire place. The Cathedral is almost (visually) simple design, compared to the others (which I find so interesting), but it’s beautiful.

I need to go through some of my pictures and post some of the places that I’ve found simply beautiful. I’m an east coast girl, so mine come from areas from Florida on up. Put me in Baltimore, Philly, VA, NY, Boston, Maine and I’m thrilled. And many places in- between)

Yes. I second @Austinlad‘s recommendation of The Fountainhead

Independence Hall really moved me. This wasn’t just a structure, though. It was the materials, too. The glass in the windows, walking through the building and seeing the structure from inside. Just beautiful. The simplicity amazed me.

Portland Head Lighthouse It’s charming. The area itself, to me, is breathtaking.

St. Augustine, Florida This was my place to go in the summer with friend, when I lived in Florida. Walking the streets, you will find many beautiful structures, including the fort. It’s such a laid back place, it’s almost like you step back in time.

Rose Center for Earth and Space I even like more modern and sleek. It’s not just the architecture in the building, it’s the structural engineering that sticks with me.

Absolutely. It is covered in all basic art history classes [art history 101 for dummies e.g.]. The basic art history text for many years , H. W. Janson’s History of Art , starts each significant era with architecture, then moves to sculpture, then to the painterly arts.

From the pyramids and the Parthenon through the cathedrals built during the Middle Ages to the buildings of Antoni Gaudi, Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright, it is an ever-evolving art form.

Architecture is basically monumental sculpture, designed by one or a few and built by many at a staggering cost, that includes functionality. To be fussy, one might call it the ultimate decorative art.