Archist City: A Stroke Of Art In Architecture
What might a city designed by Warhol, Rothko, and Mondrian look like? Italian illustrator Federico Babina addresses this very question in a series of drawings titled Archist City, in which he incorporates the iconic imagery and stylistic elements of famous artists into illustrations of standing buildings.
The series comprises of 27 illustrations that explore the intersection of art, culture, and architecture in a visually striking compilation. While the drawings are conceptual and not necessarily meant to be used as blueprints, Archist City finds a middle ground between modern urbanization, visual design, and popular culture. Babina plays with creative expression and spatial practicality by maintaining his professional knowledge as an architect while stepping into the shoes of the artists he has chosen to feature. He stated, “I tried to imagine how a house designed by Dalí would look, or a museum designed by Miró.”
The notion of concept art through architecture is by no means a novel concept as evidenced by Gaudí’s architectural presence in Barcelona, or the MoMA’s Department of Architecture and Design. The idea here is that architectural design does not rest solely on the need for structural sensibility by infusing art and practicality in homage to some of history’s most valued artists and sculptors.