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Colours in Architecture
Study on how colours used in architecture and understanding the reasons why and the impact it has on the users. Every colour symbolises different meaning in architecture.
Chefchaouen is a small town in Morocco known for its beautiful surroundings and architecture, but what makes it more stand out are the striking and varying shades of blue walls. The shades of blue are unique to this town and there are different reasons cited for the striking blue walls. The colour blue is representative of the sky according to Jewish belief (Arch20, 2012). The practice of painting walls blue was introduced by the Jews to stick to their religious practice. Some residents believe that the blue shades repel mosquitoes as insects do not like being in the water. The blue walls almost look like flowing water, thus, keeping away the mosquitoes. Another reason is that the shades of blue keep their houses cool in warmer months. Some locals believe that the painting was done to remind themselves of the life-sustaining water from Ras el-Maa Waterfall. There are also some locals feels that blue represents happiness and optimism according to the Islamic culture. Whatever the original reason for painting the city in blue, it brings a lot of benefits to the town. Chefchaouen became a picturesque place for tourists. From this city, there is a different perception towards the colour of blue and how it changes the whole city’s image, making it unique compared to other cities.
Figure 3.2 The Blue City, Chefchaouen, Morocco Kwan, M. (2015) Mac Kwan. https://www.flickr.com/photos/mac_kwan/19279282038 (Accessed: 11 April 2020)
