Floral Hall portico

I agree with all the general comments about the development
of London ,but in specific cases critisisem is due

Specifically as you pointed out harry the gray paint looks
like prima

they can't leave it like that.

>"It looks like prima (sic)"...
>"They can't leave it like that"

Oh yes they can. I knew there was a similar story in the junkyard recesses of my brain...

About twenty years ago, the authorities responsible for the Chicago El (the elevated section of their metro/subway system) refurbished Quincy station - one of the overhead stations on the downtown "Loop". For years this had been a drab and institutional grey-green colour scheme.

After a careful paint scrape by an architectural historian they came to a brightly contrasting scheme of shades of cream/ochre at the lowest levels of paint. This was carefully replicated and the station was transformed.

Unfortunately, several historians of iron structures pointed out this was the colour of the several coats of primer that would have had to be applied to protect the structure from Great Lakes weather in the windy city. The original paint finish was actually the first layer of drab.

AFAIK the station remains a completely inauthentic, albeit quite attractive, colour scheme today.



Post edited (17 Feb 04 14:24)

It probably depends on the building doesn't it? For example, I quite like the way Alexander Fleming House was transformed into Metro Heights (!) by a coat of cream and blue paint up at the Elephant but I hate the way The King of Belgium became The Elusive Camel in Tooley St. Both have been mucked about with and are inauthentic but the Brutulist (Goldfinger?) block looks good and the pub looks like an All Bar One .

Of course, this is all according to taste. And so, to answer the original question, I did once share a squat with someone who's favourite colour was actually grey. Battleship grey at that!

Lang Rabbie

brightly contrasting shades of cream/ochre

SOUNDS BETTER THAN GRAY TO ME

I think the grey looks great and very stylish. Its certainly better than painting everything Disney Colours

hey jc jc, didn't you mean grayt.....and michael, stop SHOUTING....

hey jc jc

So what's your job on this project are you the one that goes
up in that crane.

I don't know what disney colours are.To suggest that because bright colours may not be appropriate means that no colour should be used ,is anti colourant fundamentalism. Most architects seem to like gray ,I dont' know weather this is because they're often not responsible for the colouration of there buildings so they instinctively say ,don't touch it. A building can be stylish tasteful and coloured ,

one of the problems with the gray they have painted it is that its actually darker and has less life that the un painted metal work ,did ,if it has to be gray it should also have some white on it. to give a bit of contrast, and life.prefribaly some colour as well.

The railings in the refurbished Battersea Park are a strange red colour because research showed that this was their original colour. We always assume grey or black, but once you get used to them the colour works and why not.

The railings of London (think Islington/Upper St area) used to be red white and blue but were painted black as an act of mourning Prince Albert (think Queen Victoria). I've always wondered what it would look like if they were restored to the more colourful option?