Color in Architecture: Before and After Industry Revolution

Abstract

Color as a visual element cannot be separated from architectural design. The development of knowledge about color involved artists and scientists. In the past, color was always associated with the activities of artists as creators of decorative works using pigments produced by nature. Artists and scientists assume that color occurs due to the influence of light and dark which is homogeneous. This was later refuted by Newton's findings that color is produced by heterogeneous light. Different colors are a result of different refractive indexes. The discovery of artificial colors by Perkin encouraged the industry to create colors not only to produce colors that exist in nature, but also according to the wishes of the user as an individual. The opportunity to use colors according to the needs of individual users then encourages businesses to control colors so that the industry does not suffer losses if the colors of the products they produce do not sell well in the market. They work closely with color forecasters and color designers to determine color trends according to the interests of producers through color cards. This condition is followed by architects who create color schemes based on their own favorite color palette. This article finds out how the development of science positions color in architectural works? The research was conducted with a historical approach and data interpretation methods through a literature review.