Culture of colour in the city

• Published in: Arhitektura i urbanizam Vol. 2009; no. 26; pp. 12 - 22
• Main Author: Vasiljević-Tomić Dragana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Serbian
• Published: Institute of Architecture and Urban and Spatial Planning of Serbia 01.01.2009
• Subjects: colour; polychromy; public space
• ISSN: 0354-6055; 2217-8074

The phenomenon of colour is examined through the evolution of colour and development of culture of colour, which significantly affects the colouristic priorities of people and the colour of the city itself. The terms functional colour and climate of colour are also considered, as some of the most important characteristics of architectural and urban design practice. The quality of the urban public space is directly predicated by cultural identity, and indirectly by appearance of polychromy in urban public space. The need to improve the quality of life in the city represents one of the key motives for operating in urban space, i.e. commencing the process of architectural and urban designing. Historical architectural policrhomy represents the basis for appearance of colour in public space. The complexity of colouristic attributes of the urban public space is conditioned by the basic characteristics: colouristic priorities, harmony of coloured spatial structures and materials in designing the polychrome ambient in the city. The factors that shape the colouristic ambient of the city are: characteristics of nature and climate, interrelations of colour and shape, as well as the experience of the form of the urban public space while preserving its identity. The acquired experiences point to the possibility of redefining the concepts of urban public space in planning and designing practice. The synthesized knowledge is sublimed through examination of the elasticity of its boundaries in accordance to the preservation of the identity of place and the future transformations of the city as well as of its users. The new principles are formed upon which the transformed model of the urban public space as a polychrome ambient is built.