The Intense Color Journey
August 2016 www.coatingsworld.com Coatings World | 53
colors when viewed from different vantage points. A shimmering copper-red hue blends impressively with the building’s subtle architectural materials of glass, stacked stone
and fiber cement panel walls that are finished in a natural
bronze tone.
Color Shifting Shades:
• These inventive coatings offer a mesmerizing, bilateral
color finish. Thanks to recent advances in the technology
and chemistry behind a coating’s makeup, multi-color finishes give the appearance of a color spectrum when viewed
from different angles or with varying amounts of sunlight.
Kamer Eser’s California home and the Exploration Tower
at Port Canaveral both showcase this color-shifting coating
that adds depth from every single angle.
• For some projects, a little can go a long way. The architects
of the Humane Society Silicon Valley kept this in mind and
mixed natural colored coatings, like copper and brown,
with color shifting finishes to offer bold color consistency
mixed with a fluid finish feature.
Intense Tints:
• Some people will always want to stand out from the
crowd, and Alan Kanner falls into this group. His home
in Takoma Park features a jet-black coating on metal panels with pops of playful hues. The black metal, a defining
component of the exterior aesthetic, was also selected to
function as a backdrop for a palette of accent colors and
reflect the paintings in artist Richard Diebenkorn’s Ocean
Park Series.
• The Formosa 1140 Building in West Hollywood features
a striking red metal exterior that brightens its neutral surroundings and corresponds perfectly with the housing
unit’s contemporary design.
• Certain projects feature multiple colors simultaneously,
playing off of one another in glorious harmony. The Mosaic
Village, part of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte,
NC, does just this by mixing blue, gray and green coatings
on the new building. The colors aid the dynamic design of
the dormitory and tell the story of the location’s connection
to jazz music.
• A well-known brand like Crocs needs to keep up appearances, not only in regards to their products, but in their
brick-and-mortar locations, as well. When the company
began developing their flagship store in New York City
they knew they wanted to keep their brand aesthetic first
and foremost in all aspects of the design. They decided to
showcase their trademarked bright colors on the storefront
to ensure a lasting impression was left on everyone who
walked into, or passed by, the store.
• Sometimes, you just can’t decide on a single inspiration.
Architects of Bells Mill Elementary School used a variety of
inspirations, including brick and metal materials, historic
and modern influences, colonial and farmhouse designs
and four different colors to create this unique community
of buildings.
The Natural Route:
• A popular design element is to highlight the natural surroundings of a building as opposed to fighting with them
for attention. Architects of the JW Marriott in Austin used
coatings that matched the natural resources found in the
local Texas environment. The materials used mimic the appearance of weathered steel, and the coating colors match
that of the nearby rocky terrain.
• On the other hand, some buildings, like Judson University,
don’t have the luxury of being placed among lush greenery or dazzling deserts. In this case, architects used natural copper colors as coatings for the expanding Benjamin
P. Browne Library and architecture program to represent
natural elements that aren’t found on the building site.
Color is ever evolving, as are we, and our preferences and attraction to certain colors will change as we do. As we see more
of what the world has to offer, our exploration into the realm of
color will become deeper and richer. Ultimately, it’s up to us to
define the trends and keep pushing the boundaries – let’s rise to
the challenge. CW
Architects of the JW Marriott in Austin used coatings that matched the natural
resources found in the local Texas environment.
Architects of Bells Mills Elementary School used a variety of inspirations,
including four different colors to create this unique community of buildings.
