ABSTRACT
Attributed to ‘traditions’, distinctions are observable in the built environment of towns, cities, districts and nations over the globe, in their use of color: signatures for native groups, of their very identity. Color preferences are part of a local vernacular, almost as spoken languages are, perhaps as their visual equivalents. Ceremonial color prevails in traditional Persian architecture, for example, where blue-tiled domes make reference to Heaven, or by contrast, gold heightens reflections of its light. Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem make use of blue surrounding doorways, a fragmentary symbolic reminder of orientation toward Mecca – and beyond. Color symbolism, prevalent in many cultures, travels and prevails beyond their place of origins. To use color in the built environment, devoid of guides of tradition and culture, the visual analysis of place would be an essential starting point. Geographical location would be the underlying factor.
