Perceived façade colours in different daylight situations: Survey in the Old Town of Warsaw

Abstract

The study was initiated by a debate on the methods for selecting façade colours in the reconstruction of the Old Town in Warsaw. In this debate, the difference between the nominal façade colour and the façade colour as perceived in the cityscape was not acknowledged. The nominal colour is here defined as the colour that the surface would have if viewed in the standardised situation used in the definition of Natural Colour System (NCS) samples, including standard light, viewing distance and surrounding colours. The nominal colour is expressed through the NCS notation of the colour sample that is the most similar to the façade in direct comparison, and for a newly painted façade it corresponds to the NCS notation of the paint. The aim of the present study is to investigate the difference between perceived colour as seen from a distance of approximately thirty metres, and the nominal colour of the same façades. The method is based on previously published work by Fridell Anter using the NCS for survey and analysis. The perceived colours of nine façades are determined under different weather conditions, in a total of 84 observations. The analysis shows that the perceived blackness of the façades is generally lower than the nominal blackness. This result agrees with previously published studies in other parts of the world, and we draw the tentative conclusion that it is valid, irrespective of hue and geographical position, and not influenced by localisation, daylight conditions or type of wall finishing.