Light, Colour & Space

This course is directed at exploring the qualitative aspects of light and colour in the context of architecture. Light is both an essential and powerful aspect of the experience and expression of architecture. The play of natural light across a building exterior reveals its form and expresses appearance and, when purposefully provided within spaces, creates mood and atmosphere, reveals the spatial qualities, focuses attention and permits visual tasks to be undertaken. Colour can articulate and signify different elements of a building, convey additional layers of meaning, either related to or independent of the structure that carries it, and create or transform the appearance and mood of interior space. Topics explored through the course include: regional light; shade and shadow, the antitheses of light; surface as an intermediary between light and architecture; how light and colour qualities of surfaces change over time; light and passage; and transparency and translucency. The exploration of exterior colour use covers: monochromatic architecture; natural/environmental colour; and colour to deny and reinforce form.

The objectives of the course are to gain an understanding of the natural lighting and exterior colour strategies that have been successfully used in different geographical locations, and the approaches that different architects have deployed throughout their careers. The weekly class will consist of two 90-minute sessions of lecture/slide presentations on specific issues of light and colour in architectural design, detailed case studies or a particular architect’s work.