Contemporary Architecture and Colorful Facades: Architecture is white, gray, beige, brown, and the sky’s shade of blue. That is it mostly. White is modern, neat, and minimalistic. Grey is the color of concrete and steel. Brown is the color of wood and bricks, and beige is the color of stone and timber. These neutral colors dominate the architecture that surrounds us, so if we come upon a striking red wall, a hot pink glass panel, or a green aluminum sheet, we would look twice. So, You can introduce colors to your architectural facade using materials other than paint. Well, imagine all these vivid unusual colors featured on one façade; what would be the result? You won’t believe the colorful transformation that small Indonesian village has been given. If you think it would be messy, so we are here to prove you wrong, and if you think it would be pretty, then you will certainly love what we are going to show you.
Here are some quite attractive examples of colorful façades from contemporary architecture around the world. Please your eyes and enjoy the perky spirit.
What are the characteristics of contemporary architecture?
- Using raw materials in a minimalistic manner.
- Clean geometry lines and shapes.
- The abundance of natural light.
- Openness both in interiors and to the outside.
List of Colorful Facades from Worldwide Contemporary Architecture:
1.Kuggen Building – Gothenburg, Sweden
© Tord-Rikard Soderstrom
The Italian Renaissance-inspired building belongs to the Chalmers Institute of Technology. It was designed by Wingårdh Arkitektkontor, and its exterior skin comprises glazed ceramic tiles in shades of red and green.
2.SAM Monthey Kindergarten – Monthey, Switzerland
© Hannes Heinz
This kindergarten, by Bonnard Woeffray Architectes, is enveloped in equal-sized vertical timber slats. The slats are painted in a candy color palette that is attractive for children and adults alike.
3.Sugamo Shinkin Bank Nakaaoki branch – Saitama, Japan
photography by © Daisuke Shima / Nacasa & Partners
Architect Emmanuelle Moureaux created a playful dynamic façade by varying the depths of these protruding cubic masses that double as flower boxes. The animated touch was furthered by the use of multiple colors to paint the faces and sides of these boxes.
4.Brandhorst Museum – Munich, Germany
© Sauerbruch Hutton
This museum, designed by Sauerbruch Hutton, uses three different color palettes to distinguish its three volumes. The façade’s animated effect is created by the combination of perforated aluminum sheets behind shifted rows of multicolored ceramic rods.
5.Spectrum Apartments – Box Hill, Australia
© Peter Clarke
Kavellaris Urban Design (KUD) designed this unconventional apartment building, playing with both masses and colors to create a dynamic effect. The balconies are stacked on top of each other with different angles and painted in a bright variety of colors.
6.Sports and Leisure Center – Saint-Cloud, France
© Stephan Lucas
The building’s varied cubic masses feature multicolored glass façades with a range of grading shades per each mass. KOZ Architects designed the facility to be colorful on the inside and outside, reflecting the spirit of youth who will be mainly using it.
7.IMI International Management Institute – Kolkata, India
Courtesy of Abin Design Studio
Multicolored glass panels cover the curving façade of the Institute in a smooth flow. The non-repetitive pattern was inspired by the “nature of the sky”, and the colors were meant to represent the lively spirit of the young. The building is designed by Abin Design Studio.
8.Seguin – Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Courtesy of Agence Bernard Bühler
France-based Agence Bernard Bühler design unusual yet attractive façades for their buildings by introducing colors. Their Seguin housing project here features a dark gray façade, contrasted by full-hue red elements on one side, and brightened up by the irregular multicolor glass volumes of the terraces.
9.Palais des congrès de Montréal – Montreal, Canada
Courtesy of Wikipedia
This convention center in old Montreal is enveloped in a multicolored glass curtainwall. The glass panels feature five different colors that repeat randomly, animating the façade. The light coming through these panels takes their hues and beautiful colors from the interior of the building by the day.
10.The Paradise of Color – Beijing, China
© Courtesy of Atelier Alter
Vibrant full hue colors further enliven the façade of this kindergarten in Beijing. Atelier Alter was inspired by building blocks in their design of the exterior envelope. Giant color blocks “pop-up” from the façade to grab the attention of the neighborhood’s children.
