What is architecture?

Architecture is the art of planning, creating, designing, and erecting buildings or other structures. Originating from the Latin word "architectura", which derives from the Ancient Greek ἀρχιτέκτωv (arkhitéktōn) 'architect'; this compound word is made up of ἀρχι- (arkhi-) 'chief' and τέκτων (téktōn) 'maker'. When architectural works take the physical form of buildings, they are frequently regarded as both artistic and cultural icons, moreover, the architectural achievements that have survived over time are frequently used to identify historical civilizations. 

An art, a practice, a science.

I used to think that architecture was a mix of a little bit of this and a little bit of that. However, the further I go in my academic journey, and in life, the more my definition changes, until it can be summed up in one word, and one word only:

Architecture is a feeling.

And what I mean by that is not even particularly abstract. Architecture is what you feel when you walk into an old church or a medieval castle. It is what you feel when you reach the top of a skyscraper and look at the view. It is what you feel when your whole world crumbles, and you return to that familiar place you call home.

But architecture is also about what you seek: repair, comfort, shelter, shadow.

Most of the time, architects forget that to design is to generate emotion. What is so special about a place designed to be merely optimal, but not welcoming in the slightest? What is the purpose of an all-grey, minimalist aesthetic if, when you come home, you feel as though you are back at the office?

Has the magic disappeared?

I don't think it has.

Maybe we have simply stopped looking for it.

So, let's look for it together. Let's discover what architects wanted to say through their work, what they saw, what they imagined, and what they wanted us to feel.

And perhaps, along the way, you will find your own definition of architecture, or create one of your own.

Explore the architects, their ideas, and their works through the sections below. Look beyond what you see. Ask why it was designed this way, what it is trying to communicate, and what it makes you feel.

Don't stop at the surface.

"Architecture is an untapped source of magnificent stories waiting to be imagined, visualized, and built." - Matthew Hoffman in "Blank Space Launches Architecture Storytelling Competition".

 "Architecture is a small piece of this human equation, but for those of us who practice it, we believe in its potential to make a difference, to enlighten and to enrich the human experience, to penetrate the barriers of misunderstanding and provide a beautiful context for life's drama." - Frank Gehry in his 1989 Pritzker Prize Ceremony Speech.