Colour, culture and environment

Abstract

This Dissertation attempts but a brief overview of the relation between colour and the external built environment, borrowing examples from various civilizations countries and eras. Particular sections concentrate on the Maltese environment. Each of the first three chapters discusses a particular function of architecture and examines how colour has played an important role in its context: Chapter One deals with the symbolic, mystical effects of colour and its use on buildings associated with belief, religion and the State. The bold reds and blacks of the cave paintings, Greek temples, the different coloured polychromatic materials of Roman buildings and Eastern temples, etc., all have a significant, intentional effect on the built environment as perceived by the human brain. The Second Chapter discusses the role of colour on the exterior of human dwellings from early to modern times. Here colour is seen as a powerful means of personal expression, at times taking the form of folk art. Section 2.8, in particular, is the result of a survey of some Maltese villages, which examines the way in which colour is used to express individuality and convey 'image', through the treatment of house facades. Colour theory through the ages, but especially in the last fifty years, is reviewed as an important development in the way architecture 'looks'. The way colour 'works' (its psychological, physiological, emotional effects) and the use of colour in work environments is the subject of The Third Chapter. Industrial landscapes, urban housing schemes, commercial buildings and schools are discussed. Chapter Four discusses techniques for studying colour and observing its applications on the built environment. Colour studies involve familiarity with colour systems and colour harmony. Observation leads from developing a colour consciousness to the practical tool of collecting and analyzing colour samples. The Lenclos Colour Palette system for selecting colour schemes, and the regulation of colour on the built environment bring this final chapter to a close.