COLOUR   IN   BUILDING   CONSERVATION

by

Dr. A. Ghafar Ahmad

Paper presented at the Seminar on Colour For Sale, USM 20 June 1998

Penang State Religious Council Building, Georgetown

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This paper highlights the importance of colour in the practice of building conservation. It also discusses the basic understandings of building conservation, the method of colour scheme analyses and the aspect of colour harmony in a conservation area.

The term 'colour' according to Waldron Faulker has several different meanings. It can be described in terms of the characteristics of light such as dominant wavelength, luminance and purity by which an observer is made aware of objects or light sources (psychophysical). Colour may also be described as being derived wholly from one's perceptions such as hue, lightness and saturation for objects; and hue, brightness and saturation for light sources (psychological).

Hindu Temple, Georgetown, Penang

Colour, together with line and form, has traditionally been the basic element of design in either visual arts, painting, sculpture or architecture. Colour has played a major role during the prehistoric period when man used paint to express their feelings and emotions on cave surfaces. The early Greeks used colours on their buildings whilst the Egyptian coloured their statues in ancient times.

Today, colour remains as an important element in our lives. Designers, architects and advertisers use colours as their references in everyday speech and graphic communication whilst women (or perhaps men) spend endless time matching colours at homes and boutiques. With the advent of science and technology, colour continues to inspire scientists, engineers and inventors to produce materials and products that satisfy and suits human needs, desires and opportunities. Colour television, colour photography, colour photocopying machine and colour contact lenses are some examples of how colours are referred and used in today's societies. In addition, colour codes have been developed and used to standardise certain interpretations and regulations in our working routines. Green, yellow and red indicate go, ready and stop in a traffic light system. White collars for the professionals and blue collars for general workers.

In building design, colour serves several aesthetic purposes including:

Building conservation has long been of concern although its popular application is relatively recent in origin. The practice of building conservation requires various professional involvement and expertise including town planners, urban designers, conservation architects, landscape architects, quantity surveyors, specialised engineers, building contractors, archaeologists, art historians and antiquaries. They may be supported by other skills such as craftsmen, biologists, chemists and geologists.

Colour plays an important role in building conservation, particularly in understanding the building materials and identifying the original colour(s) of historic buildings. To understand the relationship between colour and building conservation, one must first have a basic knowledge of building conservation itself.

Building conservation is defined as the practice of keeping historic buildings intact. The term 'historic buildings' normally refers to any building built in the past which are of historical and architectural significance. Whilst 'the practice of keeping historic buildings intact' requires the acts of maintaining and preserving buildings according to the building conservation attitude. In building conservation, the main concern in carrying out any maintenance and preservation work is to retain as much as possible the original characters and colour(s) of the building. It is a process which leads to the prolongation of the life of cultural property and for its utilisation now and in the future. Any new material introduced to the historic building should be of the same or similar to the old ones. This practice is particularly crucial in creating a sense of harmony in the building.

In Malaysia, historic buildings can be found in most urban areas and some in rural areas. The historic buildings can be classified into several categories such as traditional architecture (the traditional timber Malay houses), shophouses of unique architectural styles (the Early Permanent Style, Straits Eclectic Style or the Art Deco), colonial influence (railway stations, old government buildings, mansions and courthouses); and religious buildings (traditional and Moorish-influence mosques, churches and temples). Today, some of these buildings still remain intact and maintain their original characters whilst others have been repainted for several times or have new additions to the buildings. Unfortunately, a few have been left abandoned or demolished to give way to modern development.

Historic buildings are preserved and conserved for various reasons. Firstly, to show a sense of sensitivity towards the past. This is critical because otherwise historic buildings would never be preserved or conserved properly. Secondly, historic buildings play a significant role in retaining evidence of the country's history and development. Thirdly, to maintain the physical characteristics of a conservation area including their scale and proportion. Finally, historic buildings are preserved and conserved for the purpose of enhancing the tourism industry. Rehabilitation or careful adaptive reuse of historic buildings into appropriate new uses such as shops, museums and restaurants may help to promote tourism.

Unlike modern or newly constructed buildings, historic buildings are more prone to building decays or defects such as termite attacks, dampness, roof leakage, poor rainwater goods, harmful growth and peeling paint. Such decays or defects may disturb or destroy the building materials, hence altering the character and image of the historic buildings (colours of the buildings may also be affected). Causes to these decays or defects may vary according to building locations, poor maintenance, climatic conditions, structural failures and inappropriate uses of new buildings. There is no standard specification for the repair of historic buildings. Nor should there be any specific colour(s) for historic buildings. Nonetheless, the maintenance and care of such buildings require a great degree of sensitivity, skilled and experienced workers as well as close and regular supervision.

Colour plays such an important role in emphasising the unique characteristics of historic buildings. Building elements such as windows, doors, walls, columns, roofs, domes, turrets, staircases and ceilings are all painted in various colours. Colours on these building elements are important as they can create a vivid image for historic cities. Such distinct images may well strike tourists as potent and memorable, thus creating a lasting mental picture which may lure tourists to revisit the place. For instance, the historic Dutch and British buildings (the Stadthuys Building and the Christ Church) in the old town of Malacca were all painted in red. By the same token, most historic buildings in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland appear in grey. Both examples present a clear and lucid image of the areas as well as the entire cities. The unique red buildings in Malacca and grey buildings in Edinburgh may well be highlighted and promoted as tourism products.

Colours of building materials also give an interesting character to historic buildings. For example, the historic Sultan Abdul Samad Building at Dataran Merdeka and the Jamek Mosque in Kuala Lumpur both have exposed red brick walls which are distinct from the surrounding modern buildings. The unique colour of these buildings made them popular landmarks of Kuala Lumpur. Another example is the use of colourful ceramic tiles to decorate staircases in traditional Malacca houses and the front facades of the Peranakan Cina shophouses. The tiles of varying sizes and patterns reflect the wealth of the building owners. In another case, clay roof tiles are predominantly used in most old buildings in the historic city of Georgetown. The reddish-orange colour of the roof tiles is unique as it enhances the image of the city. Also, the use of dark brown oil paint to prevent termite attacks on timber structures gives a unique appearance to traditional Malay houses.

In many old buildings, there are layers of paint being applied on plastered walls. Sometimes peeling paint occurs on the building facades mainly on plastered walls, columns and other areas which are exposed to excessive rain and dampness. However, some buildings located near the sea may face a much greater risk once the signs of peeling paint are visible on the exterior walls. This is because the amount of constant wind, rain and sun received can easily turn the surfaces of the paint to be chalky, wrinkled or blistered. In such a case, records should be kept on the existing paint types to identify the appropriate colour for the new paintwork, conditions of the materials and other aspects of architectural or historical interests to the buildings. These are all done prior to the removal of the defective paint.

Based on the attitude of building conservation which is to retain as much as possible the original characters and colour(s) of the building, it is essential to identify the original colour(s) before any repainting work is carried out. The method of colour scheme analyses is necessary to assist those involved in the conservation works. Being involved for two years in the conservation project of the Acheen Street Mosque in Georgetown, Penang (1995-97), the author has conducted the method of colour scheme analyses which revealed the original colours of the ancient mosque and its well-designed mimbar (a mimbar is an altar where an Imam delivers his Friday preaching or khutbah). From the colour scheme analyses, it was found that the mosque was originally painted in 4 colours namely light yellow, light blue, green and beige. Whilst the mimbar was originally painted in green, red and golden yellow.

The method of colour scheme analyses in building conservation involve the following procedures:

5.0 COLOUR HARMONY IN A CONSERVATION AREA

The question of colour harmony usually arises when a colour scheme consisting of 3 or more different colours is being considered. Colours on building elements in an historic building may be visually harmonious. However, at a macro scale, the building might not be compatible with its surroundings, particularly if it is located in a conservation area. Historic buildings in a conservation area usually vary in terms of the architectural styles, shapes, proportions, forms and colours. Prince Charles in his book the Vision of Britain: A Personal View of Architecture commented that new buildings in the conservation areas in Britain, for example, "boast too much and forget their neighbours". He argued that harmony is the playing together of many different parts to achieve a sense of concord and unity. So much so that buildings built along side each other should be in tune with their neighbours. Colour harmony is important in creating a sense of acknowledgement, conformity, continuity and stability of historic buildings in the conservation area.

In some countries, the local authorities impose rules and regulations to control the development of the conservation areas. Such rules and regulations include the control of building height, display and advertisements, selection of colours and materials for building exteriors; and the form of any future additions and extensions. Any forms of advertisements such as neon signs, illuminated boards and painted panels should be prohibited or discouraged and limited to the smallest number and sizes with a high quality of graphics and lettering. This is to preserve the original facade as much as possible. Selection of appropriate colours and materials for building facades is essential, particularly in respecting other buildings in the adjacent areas and in ensuring variety in the urban fabric. A fine example is the historic city of Bath, United Kingdom which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987 in recognition of its invaluable treasures. Here, the tourists and the local community are able to experience the life of the Romans and Saxons in the early days of the city. In summer, gardens and hanging baskets are filled with riotious colours and look splendid against the mellow Bath stone.

Colour is an integral component in building conservation. Natural colours of building materials and the colours of paint on buildings reflect the emotional ties, symbolising the cultural identity and heritage of a community at a particular period in time. By acknowledging the qualities of historic buildings, people can relate and learn not only about the life of their predecessors but building innovations made in the past.

One of the principles of building conservation is that all repainting works should first consider the colour scheme analyses in order to trace the original colours of the historic buildings. Appreciation of colours and sensitivity towards old and new building materials are the fundamentals in the method of colour scheme analyses. The colour scheme analyses should be conducted in a professional manner to avoid confusions and misunderstandings among the public.

Colour effectively enhances the characteristics and image of a historic city. Historic cities without colours are devoid of meaning and cultural leanings. Colours in historic cities either on building facades, advertisement boards, street furnitures and signages are all effective tools of communication which can attract tourists and enrich the livelihood of the local community. Historic cities such as Siena and Venice in Italy, for instance, are very successful in preserving their old buildings in the traditional colours (red, brown and white). Such uniformity of colours on buildings create a strong sense of harmony and identity in both cities.