Architecture colours defining yesterday, today and tomorrow
‘Colour Memories’, a new exhibition by London’s Museum of Architecture, takes a look at the colours inspiring architects through time and personal experience
Architecture and colour have a long and established relationship. Bright geometric pops of colour at Tottenham Court Road Underground station, courtesy of artist Daniel Buren and part of Hawkins/Brown’s redevelopment; the muted colours of Morris + Company’s models for its Sylvan Heritage project in Kent; and the vivid stripes of Charles Holland Architects' Polly pavilion in North Yorkshire – colours lend each of these distinctive designs its own idiosyncratic character. The emotive role of colour and its power to be both joyful and inclusive has long held architects and designers engaged, and is now the subject of a new digital exhibition organised by the Museum of Architecture, London.
‘Colour Memories’ looks into the sentimental role colour holds for architects, who juggle the personal connotations it can conjure for them with a knowledge of how it will impact design. The exhibition examines the impact of memory and how it works alongside colour’s power to alter perceptions of space, set the ambience, or draw on an intrinsic web of cultural associations.
For Jonathan Hagos of architecture practice Freehaus, salmon orange was the colour of his parents’ Opal Kadett, parked outside the first home he remembers living in. For Catherine Pease of vPPR Architects, soft green recalls the calming hues of plants, and she and her colleagues are drawn to projects that link landscape and architecture. For Harbinder Singh Birdi of Hawkins\Brown Architects, traffic red holds a significance. Paul Monaghan of AHMM finds the distinctive green of a Victorian tile sentimental.
‘Colour is something that helps us recall memories and feelings,' says founder and director of The Museum of Architecture Melissa Woolfrod. ‘The steel blue of the ocean on a windy Autumn's day that gives us chills just thinking of it; bright neon-coloured lights in cities that evoke excitement and energy; and primary-coloured crayons strewn across a table harking back to the nostalgia and innocence of being a child. Narratives like these are driving the Museum of Architecture's Colour Memories exhibition, bringing the personal stories of architects, and the designs they inspire, to life.'
The exhibition, sponsored by Axalta, looks further than nostalgia’s role in colour memory, contemplating how colour informs both the design process and our mood and wellbeing. It nods to recent movements in architecture and design, considering the role of the Multiform movement – characterised by its use of bold colours and themes – and the vibrant New London Fabulous movement, which celebrates colourful design cues from diverse cultures. Twenty architectural practices come together for the digital exhibition, providing a personal exploration of colour’s role in their designs.
INFORMATION
‘Colour Memories’, until October 2021, is a digital exhibition sponsored by Axalta
museumofarchitecture.org
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
Explore Cornwall's cosiest coffee shops
Cornwall is known for its natural beauty and stunning landscape, here is our pick of coffee shops to enjoy the views and refuel
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Maude’s Brâncuși-inspired sex toys go on display in a new Paris exhibition
Maude’s design-led vibrators are now on display at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as part of ‘Private Lives: From the Bedroom to Social Media’. Brand founder Éva Goicochea talks to Wallpaper* about partnering with the museum and opening up cultural conversations around sex
By India Birgitta Jarvis Published
-
‘I was captivated by the idea of merging two iconic brands’: Nigo on his 1990s-inspired collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz
Unveiled at Moncler’s ‘The City of Genius’ event in Shanghai this past weekend, Japanese fashion designer Nigo unpacks his three-way collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which includes a play on the G-Class alongside a fashion collection in his eclectic style
By Jack Moss Published
-
The Museum of Shakespeare set to open in east London
The Museum of Shakespeare puts the remains of the ancient Curtain Playhouse at the centre of 'The Stage', a new urban development in the heart of Shoreditch
By Smilian Cibic Published
-
Paddington Square transforms its patch of central London with its 'elevated cube'
Paddington Square by Renzo Piano Building Workshop has been completed, elevating a busy London site through sustainability, modern workspace and a plaza
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Architectural car parks to drive into, in the UK and beyond
Architectural car parks form an important part of urban infrastructure but can provide a design statement too; here are some of the finest examples to peruse, in the UK and beyond
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Architectural Association's newest show uncovers the architectural legacies of rural China's lost generation
The Architectural Association’s ‘Ripple Ripple Rippling’ is not your typical architecture show, taking an anthropological look at the flux between rural and urban, and bringing a part of China to Bedford Square in London
By Teshome Douglas-Campbell Published
-
Into the groove: Henriksen House is the UK’s first home extension featuring exposed clay block walls
Architect Michael Henriksen uses textured clay blocks, cork flooring and self-built joinery to transform his family home in St Albans near London
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
This unassuming London house is a radical rethinking of the suburban home
Station Lodge by architect Andrei Saltykov in South West London offers a radical subversion to regional residential architecture
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Join our tour of London Zoo, its modernist architecture and more
London Zoo is a well-established magnet for younger visitors, but there's plenty for the architecture enthusiast to admire too; our tour explores its modernist treasures for guests of all ages
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Load into this reimagined Fortnite cityscape, courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects
A collaboration between Epic Games and ZHA, Re:Imagine London brings the architects’ modular forms into one of the world’s most popular multiplayer games
By Jonathan Bell Published