Use of colours in architecture : an examination with special reference to its psychological effects and power in man's built environment

Abstract

Every thing in this world of ours has to have some colour or other. All of nature is colorful and even the gray of dust or, soot in the most depressing as melancholy places always have their own typical colours. Where ever light is there must be colour. Since every object in nature has its own colour, every thing human being creates must be thought through in terms of colour too .... "Colour is the backdrop of our lives; the colours with which we surrounded ourselves in daily life effect us profoundly .... n Donald Kauffman (1992) Cover page Colour can be considered as magic in our world, because most of our experiences impressed on our mind as symbols of colours. Imagine a colorless world, the orderliness of boundaries in the progression of luminous planes would give an organized but dull experience. Therefore colour is a gift we have received to enhance our total experience of the world in which we live. The primary presence of hues like red or blue is an excitation that activates or sets up different between a predictable or uniform organization and spatial action. Herbert Y.P.MA stated, "Colour plays a distinct role in shaping the visual culture of a city or country .It is the one of the oldest forms of communication known, and we are attracted to it like magpies -to a shiny object. Colour is simple and pure .... “ Herbert Y.P.MA, (1996), p.79 This inseparable bond with colour and man has a great history from the primitive age. People used colours to communicate their lives and expressions through colours symbolically from the primitive age and after that they realized about powerfulness of the colours and used for various purposes such as meditations, therapies and in making better built environment. In these traditions they have identified the capabilities of colours to evoke various emotions and expressions on human being. Even though colours and emotions are greatly inter linked and colour associations are endlessly varied some have universal impact, some have significances restricted to groups or notions. Therefore as a result of inherent expressiveness colour can articulate appropriate meaning and mood for particular occasions. That may be sorrowful, delightful, co vivid, religious, national, political, etc ... Since the colour has such power in effecting the human's emotions and feelings that can be used to give better solution in architecture also. Numerous architects through out the world using this, comparatively inexpensive and easy media eloquently to make better architecture. Colour can give solution for even older or shabbiest buildings there by a new face for the buildings. Colour will brighten then up and make the people who live there a little happier. But the very important thing is use of colours in architecture with its power enough meaningfully and make better-built environment for people.