The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)(about) |
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Thursday 13 May 1954
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Blue-green Made
People
Feel Charitable
An American "colour engineer" had found that a charity appeal mailed in a light blue-green envelope induced a surer response than one sent in a white envelope, Professor Walter Gropius, eminent archi- tect, said last night.
Professor Gropius was de- livering a lecture "Is There a Science in Design" in the ¡Great Hall of the Univer-
sity of Sydney, as part of
the Fourth Australian Archi- tectural Convention at which he is a guest.
He said that other effects of colour discovered by the engineer were:
Violet induces-melancholy.
Yellow is an energising coir
our, conducive to .convivi- ality, increased brain activ- ity, and , a sense . of well-being. A classroom painted yellow is good for
retarded children, while nurseries painted yellow are likely to send babies to sleep. v
Blue induces not "the blues,"
but relaxation. Old people often become "blue thirsty." Red stimulates the brain,
pulse, and appetite. If you stand 20 feet away from a red chair and a blue chair, the red chair will appear to be a foot closer.
Greeen makes people feel
cold. Stenographers work- ing in green offices are prey to psychosomatic chills, which they readily shed, * along with their sweaters,
when, without a change of temperature, orange slip- covers are placed on their chairs, or orange curtains are hung in their windows. Professor Gropius said that
BLUE "HEAVIER"
the same engineer had stated ¡that a 201b box painted dark blue would look heavier, and seem harder to carry, than a similar box painted light yel-
low.
He had claimed that a tele- phone bell ringing in a white booth seemed louder than one ringing in a purple booth, and a peach eaten in the dark ap- peared to have less flavour than it did if its colour could be
seen.
Professor- Gropius added that it made him sad to read that building regulations in Sydney enabled local councils to decide questions of design.
"The local council is in- competent to decide questions of design," he said. "This matter should be left in the hands of the architect.
"Architects should see that this matter is rectified.
"Otherwise you will have mediocrity."
HONORARY DEGREE Before the lecture, the first honorary doctorate-of science degree to be awarded in the Faculty of Architecture at thc University of Sydney, was conferred on Professor Grop-
ius.
The degree was conferred by the Chancellor of the Uni- versity, Sir Charles Bicker- ton Blackburn, before the gathering of more than 900 persons who attended the lec-
ture.