Assessing architectural color preference after Le Corbusier’s 1931 Salubra keyboards: A cross cultural analysis

Abstract

Color preference for the interior of a bedroom of Le Corbusier’s Swiss Pavilion was studied using 1931 Salubra color keyboards in a cross-cultural analysis. Results indicate that students from architecture and interior design slightly dislike or are indifferent to Le Corbusier color combinations and prefer pale and low saturated colors for interior architecture. The least preferred colors belong to green and brown hues. Scarce significant gender differences are found that follow a stereotyped tendency, with females preferring pinks, light blues and light greens, while males vivid oranges and Vermilions. Near Easterners are significantly more likely to green colors, while Western Europeans to dark greys. These data indicate that not only hue, but also value and saturation are important color features to inform preference for interior architecture.

Keywords

Color preference / Salubra / Le Corbusier / Swiss Pavilion / Architectural Policromie

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2021 Higher Education Press Limited Company. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).