Colorful Republic of Germany
Most houses in this country are painted in white or other inconspicuous colors. Why is that? And do brightly colored facades like those on many Berlin apartment buildings really make people feel more comfortable there?
Interview excerpt:
“However, color researcher Buether is also aware of studies in which bright colors tend to evoke negative feelings. In one study, participants were asked to rate the engine noises of seven cars of identical design. Each drove past them at the same speed. The white car was perceived by the participants as quiet and pleasant. The bright green and red cars were rated as significantly louder.
Viewed this way, the brightly colored houses of the real estate firm Harry Gerlach are loud in a city that’s already constantly noisy. “To me, they seem artificially cheerful,” says Buether over the phone. “The colors serve no function.” They don’t highlight anything—such as building entrances, for example—to aid in orientation. Furthermore, the colors are far too saturated, meaning they’re too intense. “
(….)
“Jeannine and Jeannette Gerlach want to carry on the tradition of their father, Harry Gerlach. Color researcher Axel Buether would advise them otherwise: ‘Why not ask the residents what kind of atmosphere they want in their home, and what effect they want the home to have on them?’ Experts like him could then derive color concepts from that. “That’s how you move away from subjective taste toward evidence-based color design,” says Buether.”
Find the complete article by Christoph Cadenbach – Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin from 30.09.2021
