I seldom see buildings in Singapore, or even elsewhere abroad, painted in lime green on the exterior (of course the same goes for the interiors). Most people I know shun it. They basically think that the color screams for attention. In a wrong way, that is.
But I think I ought to defend the color - it's actually quite a 'happy' color. It may be a color that's commonly associated with kids, but don't you feel refreshed (I almost wanted to say 'cleansed') every time you see the color, whether you're an adult or a child? I'm not saying everyone should immediately go buy a can of ICI paint and bathe your whole house in lime. I just feel that this color needs to be used in a tactical manner, that's all. Use it wrongly, and what you get is a doll house.
Therefore, I point you to this housing project by LA architect Lorcan O'Herlihy. Called Habitat 825, this building is built right next door to the Schindler House and deliberately designed so as to avoid casting shadows onto its historically listed neighbor. The use of the color lime green in this instance is, in my humble opinion, expert. I admire how the 'whimsical' color is applied in such a contemporary context, and the juxtaposition of the different materials like glass, timber and concrete really made the building stand out among the neighbours. There goes the moral of the story: there's no such thing as a bad color - it's just how you use it.




So, what are your thoughts on this building? Do you love or hate the color lime? Would love to hear from you...
Stan
Tags: design, architecture





The way it has been used, in a contemprorary context, on just few walls...make it interesting:-)
It's the first time that I have seen this colour on an exterior wall.
Coming from India I have seen all the colours from the colour-wheel used on the walls ( in a rural setting):-)
Thanks for sharing:-)
You have a great blog here:-)
Lime usually looks gross and slimy. But it is used to great effect here.
I love it
Very nice color play!
Beautiful house! Yes, it's true there are few owners who opt for lime. I like how they use the lime colour in this case to contrast with the dark and lighter colours on the exterior.
You really should credit the source of your images since you lifted them all from BLDGBLOG. Not cool.
So sorry for being 'uncool' for once. Thanks for the reminder, anon!
on an exterior portion of a contempory house.. perfect.. even on a interior wall or so of a more traditional home that has a mid-century feel.. i feel perfect as well...
you can easily over doit with this colour.. but in the right little tastes it can leave you with a wonderful feeling of excitment