The Color of Cities - Softcover

Swirnoff, Lois

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6 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0071411720 ISBN 13: 9780071411721

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education, 2003

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A unique colour dictionary of international urban design and phenomenal photographic reference, The Colour of Cities documents the distinctive colour characteristics of cities in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. The book features beautiful original colour photographs by the author, who is an acclaimed artist and world authority on the three-dimensional use of colour and other noted architectural photographers. Topics covered include how cultural colour preferences are grounded in vision differences in different geographic locations and the similarities within diversity in streets, facades, plazas, boundaries and marketplaces. A reference section provides you with typical colour palettes for each country, complete with thumbnail photographic examples.

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Review:

THE COLOR OF CITIES: An International Perspective by Lois Swirnoff"Reviewed by Charles Redmon, FAIA, a principal of Cambridge Seven Associates in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a former president of the Boston Society of ArchitectsExcerpts from review: What an original and fascinating way to look at city form and character: to dissect the built environment through the lens of color and light. Linking the perception of color to the incidence of light, Lois Swirnoff (who is also a brilliant photographer) takes us on a richly illustrated journey to many of the major urban centers of the Northern Hemisphere. Her thesis is that the color or urban environments is directly linked to the differing angle at which the sun's rays hit the earth's surface. The steeper the angle (closest to the equator), the more intense the use of bright, saturated colors reflecting this brilliant light; and the shallower the angle, the greater the prevelant use of softer, more subtle colors. The book is organized as a series of written and photographic essays. These anecdotal travelogues tour different latitudes, focusing upon the impact of location, light, and shadow, and are coupled with descriptions of the elements of streetscape, facades, and building materials. When the text and images are tightly interlocked and developed, the book's thesis is clearly and forcefully presented. The author's description of how the colors of natural materials (such as in the temple at Segesta in Sicily) change from light to shade, transforming into complementary hues through the seasons and times of day, richly illustrates her message. And her description of the change in the color of the ocean through the seasons andwith proximity to the earth's equator also conveys a powerful message about the angle-of-light's impact upon regional colors. ...Lois Swirnoff undertook a difficult theis, linking solar positioning to urban colors. At the same time she rightfully discusses all the other factors that shape the character, form, and color of urban places: city plan and design; vernacular expressions; local traditions; building materials; natural setting; growth and change; people and personalities; and cultural heritage. In the final analysis, it is really this amalgam of influences that shapes and forms urban places. But looking at all these factors through her colored looking glass is certainly worth the journey.

From the Back Cover:

THE FIRST MAJOR STUDY OF COLOR IN URBAN DESIGN

Architecture and urban design define a locale by giving it structure and form. But less obviously, and more fundamentally, color has a significant impact on the overall perception of an urban environment. The Color of Cities: An International Perspective is the first book to explore the complex interactions that inform and shape this perception. It documents the use of color in urban areas around the world, showing how color contributes to a city's unique character and appearance.

Over 500 full-color photographs support this ground-breaking work by noted color theorist Lois Swirnoff. Drawing on specific examples from cities in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia, The Color of Cities demonstrates how local color selection is rooted in the geophysical, determined in large part by how colors originate in and are altered by the angle of the Sun's rays. And the book explains how the intensity of light differs globally, from the direct beam of the Equatorial regions to the angular glow of cities near the poles.

Using dimensional color as her premise, Swirnoff explores the links between a culture's distinctive character and its color choices, and describes how color plays a role in building the environment. You'll also see some unexpected similarities in different cities' use of color in standard urban features such as facades, streets and plazas, boundaries, and marketplaces. For easy reference, the book is organized according to these features, with abundant photographic examples for comparison. What's more, a photographic appendix offers a summary overview of the color palettes of cities and locales. It all adds up to the most in-depth, most complete look at the pivotal role of color in urban design and one you'll refer to again and again.

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