Colour Strategies in Architecture

This book explores the potential of colour to modify space and the way in which buildings are perceived. Drawing on examples from the 20th and 21st centuries, ranging from architectural icons to hidden gems, the volume presents six different strategies for working with colour in architecture. Each chapter presents a specific way of planning the interplay of colour and space. In one example, colour reinforces and clarifies the architectural form, while in another the colour interprets the form in a playful way. Sometimes the colour is a subtle interpretation of light and shadow, elsewhere it envelops us in an intense, immersive experience or creates a sophisticated holistic interplay with architectural form. In each case, colour gives the architecture identity and creates an added value that is both creative and functional.

The colour strategies are presented in words and images. Large format colour plates illustrate the versatility of colour in dialogue with architecture. Abstract ‘building portraits’ show the proportion, palette and use of colour on specific buildings. The book provides inspiration to professionals and suggests different ways to use and celebrate colour in architectural design. For the layperson, it is an informative delight for the eyes.

The six colour strategies are discussed on the basis of buildings in Berlin, Zürich and Edinburgh under the following titles:

Painterly Promenade (Lux Guyer, Zürich)
Tectonics Clarified (Basil Spence, Edinburgh)
Immersive Pop (Rainer Rümmler, Berlin)
Holistic Interplay (Hans Scharoun, Berlin)
Hushed Tonalities (Reiach & Hall Architects, Edinburgh)
Second Layer (Knapkiewicz & Fickert, Zürich)