Art and architecture has always dovetailed to varying degrees, the realities of the latter place limits on the impact the former can have.
Factors such as building codes, the building’s overall function and functionality and simple economic factors handcuff architects and prevent them from working on a truly blank canvas.
Still, ambitious and clever architects can often find ways of incorporating unique aesthetics into building designs, with few structures exemplifying the practice more than Metaform Atelier D’architecture’s ‘Luxembourg Apartment.’
With an ultra-modern design, the building is instantly noticeable for its surreal form, with unusual angles highlighted by bright colours. The building’s interior is no less reliant on artistic ingenuity, with artwork informing the building’s overall look and feel.
Luxembourg Apartment is uniquely shaped as, unlike conventional apartments complexes, living spaces sit asymmetrically atop one another. Because of this unusual configuration, the building’s upper floors are actually wider than the lower levels.
The overhangs between levels are festooned with vivid oranges and reds, showcasing but one elements of the structure’s signature artistic flair. This artwork provides eye-catching contrast to the building’s shiny, black façade.
The bright colours also provide a stark contrast to the otherwise white interior, with the red and orange colour scheme creating a sense of flow that links inside and out.
In creating the building, artist SUMO has designed a structure that does not simply offer a nod to art or lean on art for token inspiration; it truly is a work of art in and of itself. In so doing, he has demonstrated that there are always ways in which architects can incorporate the artistic world into designs, even if it is not done to the same extent as in Luxembourg Apartment.
By incorporating art into architecture, building designs can truly reflect the eras and the prevailing aesthetic values of the eras in which they were built.
While art is undoubtedly subjective and designs as unique as Luxembourg Apartment will always be sure to have their detractors, the creativity displayed is certainly a welcome change from cookie-cutter concrete slabs.
