2
Alabi and Alabi, 2020
DISCUSSION
deadlines and budgets. Architecture is at its core,
part of a service [17]. Therefore, while architects
resolve pre-existing problems into something with
harmony, artists create the “problem” and then
resolve it into something with harmony [14].
Architecture as more than an art form
The major frustrations most architects
experience professionally is the difficulty in making
analytic arguments in favour of aesthetic decisions
in design [14]. Architecture, generally speaking,
consists of arts, sciences and other diverse
disciplines. In fulfilling Vitruvius’ triad of firmitas,
utilitas and venustas, architecture encompasses the
utilitarian concept, performs certain functions and
accommodates human needs, behaviours and
ergonomics through which it is holistically defined.
However, in dealing with artistic tendencies,
architects must be able to distinguish venustas from
one of Vitruvius triad principle of which the anchor
strength is in beauty, aesthetics etc. On this
premise, we can base our argument of
differentiating art form in architecture from other
art forms such as sculpture, painting and music.
Architecture comes about through a systematic
process in response to a need while other forms of
art are manifest without a responsibility to a need.
Art is a creative expression that transcends the
functional requirements of its existence in any form
one chooses to manifest it. An artist is someone who
expresses his/her thoughts irrespective of what
others like or dislike. It is an extension of the artist’s
mind and has nothing to do with the constraints.
Architecture on the other hand is artistic products
derived from the process of synthesizing
information in construction, engineering, human
behaviour and needs, and formal aesthetic order for
the purpose of responding to a particular problem
involving human use and habitation which
contributes to the cultural capital of the society that
benefits from such a product.
–
architecture as a prominent work of art (Source:
The excellence of a visible work of art such as a
sculpture is dependent on factors of balance and
expressiveness of the forms employed’ [14].
However, balance and expressiveness of form in
conjunction with functionalism identifies a work of
architecture. Therefore,
a
building designed
primarily to be a work of art denies that building
from being regarded as architecture in the pure
sense of the word.
Architecture cannot be moved about and
remains unchanged unlike other forms of art. Books,
music and pictorial art works can be created in one
place and moved or reproduced in another place
without experiencing any change in aesthetic
character. Examples are books written, translated
into various languages, reproduced and distributed
all over the world yet carrying the same message
(such as the Holy Bible) or music playing in Nigeria
and getting a response from the audience which is
exactly the same as those listening to the same artist
in Belgium and yet still inspiring yet the same
reaction from an audience in South Africa listening
to a reproduction of the same music by another
artist. However, an attempt at moving a work of
architecture from its original place to another or
Architecture is a science, which is a subset of
art, which involves solving problems with an artistic
approach, considering constraints and coming out
with the best possible optimized solution. When an
intended piece of architecture is forced to be an art,
it likely ends up being a sculptor and loses the
enabling characteristics of architecture. However,
there are occasions of the craft of architecture
becoming art: where the intention was not to make
art but where the craft was so exquisite that the
result is mystical appellation. An example is the
Basilica De la Sagrada Familia designed by Antonio
creating
a
replica or prototype changes the
characteristic of the moved or replicated building
from being a work of architecture because the action
would have made it lose one or two of the three
functions making it architecture. This is because
architecture has a highly localized quality [14, 18].
Art now bears no responsibility for its actions. It
is subversive. Art is not a service, but an opinion
[16]. Architecture has a social responsibility; it must
appeal to the client, must follow by-laws and meet