(smow) blog compact: aed Stuttgart – Die Macht der Farben, How surfaces and materials influence our perceptions

“Colours have an important, positive, psychological effect“, so explained Verner Panton the polychromatic nature of his Visiona 2 showcase.

But not just psychological effects. Colours can also produce physical effects, can influence the way we perceive and understand objects. The decision to paint the exterior of the VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein anthracite, for example, was not a popular one with local residents and councillors; however, according to architects Herzog & de Meuron was a decision made to extenuate the effect of VitraHaus as a series of floating house, for all in the dusk hours. And as such was an essential part of the concept.¹

The role colours play in architecture and design, how architects and designers can optimize the use of colour in their projects, and where the pitfalls lie is the subject of a discussion evening being hosted on Wednesday March 19th by aed Stuttgart in cooperation with the Stuttgart materials agency raumPROBE.

Hosted by form magazine editor Stephan Ott the evening begins with presentations by raumPROBE CEO Hannes Bäuerle and Michael Lanz, Managing Director of Munich based designaffairs GmbH, before opening up to a general, public, discussion on the issues involved.

Die Macht der Farben – How surfaces and materials influence our perceptions takes place at raumPROBE, Hohnerstr. 23, 70469 Stuttgart on Wednesday March 19th at 7pm.

Entry is free, and the event will, somewhat logically, be in German.

Full details can be found at www.aed-stuttgart.de

1.Trotz Kritik: Das Vitra-Haus bleibt schwarz, Badische Zeitung, 25.11.2009 http://www.badische-zeitung.de/trotz-kritik-das-vitra-haus-bleibt-schwarz Accessed 05.03.2014

For old times' sake.... The VitraHaus, if Alexander Girard had been responsible for the exterior colour scheme.