My second guest post on yellowtrace focuses on the most beautiful kindergarten I’ve ever seen – the Educational Centre En El Chaparral in Granada, Spain designed by Alejandro Muñoz Miranda. Colour windows were added to communal spaces like doorways (leaving classrooms with clear glass) so changing weather and seasons could inject the white space with gorgeous coloured light. Can you imagine going to kindergarden somewhere so magical? Check out my whole post and more images on yellowtrace.

(photographs by Fernando Alda via Dezeen)

I have posted about saturated walls of colour before yet my eye continues to be drawn to unique uses of colour in interior spaces. In particular, I have been fascinated by neutral rooms with ceilings that extend beyond the obvious lines and are painted a bright colour so light can bathe the room in a beautiful wash of hue. I am also fairly in love with cement or rough studio walls half painted with vibrant colour. A form of modern wainscoting perhaps? This is officially my dream look for a working studio. If all else fails, I say paint a white spotlight right onto your wall and floor. You can be on “stage” every single night…

maria alexandra vettese

(photographs via maria alexandra vettese, remodelista, apartment therapy, red house design, simply grove, coco+kelley, hus & hem, simply grove and french by design)

I love bright coloured paint jobs so these photos more than made my day. I love the feature wall completely saturated in one vibrant colour including coat hooks, radiator and shelving. I also love the idea of colour splashed randomly and artfully up one wall. Who says you ever have to paint your walls in a traditional fashion?

(photographs via 101 woonideeen and agent bauer)

If you ever chat with someone who declares that environment conscious architecture can’t be a beacon of bold, colourful design, direct them to the Pixel building in Melbourne, Australia. The country’s first carbon neutral office building of its kind has impressive green credentials (read about them here) and manages to be a stunning symphony of form and colour. The facet-shaped “wings” are just beautiful and the colour palette feels like it was plucked from an Australian bloom (perhaps a pincushion or protea?) Overall, it is a building bursting with colour and, I imagine, infectious energy. I love that such a technically advanced building doesn’t have to be stainless steel to be sleek, modern and simply gorgeous.

(photography by ben hosking via weheart)

That fireplace. Good Lord. A large expanse of fuchsia that will be in my dreams indefinitely and is only one colourful detail at newly opened The Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. The space was “inspired by the contemporary architecture of Mexico and the Arizona desert… designed around the color and light of the surrounding landscape.” Doesn’t it feel like you are in the middle of a desert sunset? A really inspiring palette including tangerine, fuchsia, grape, coral, saffron and a host of other warm hues. I love those bold pops of colour mixed with varying shades of natural wood. The bedrooms feel airy, vibrant and modern yet still calm. If I am missing in Scottsdale, you can definitely find me sitting by that beautiful fireplace…

(photographs via saguaro & knstrct)

Airports are fascinating places. Some are rather frightening and clinical, some are gleaming structures of great design. The latter category more than fits ‘Harmonic Convergence’ by Christopher Janney, a spectacular interactive sound, light and colour installation at the Miami International Airport. Created in the walkway from the rental car terminal to the main airport, Christopher used diamonds of coloured glass, the constant sun of Florida and a liberal coat of white paint to create a dazzling hall of pure colour. The pattern created on the floor is stunning. When the sun finally sets, the installation remains vibrant via computer-controlled LED lights. Christopher also designed a “sonic portrait” or composition of constantly changing tropical birds, thunderstorms and other distinctly Floridian sounds to interact with the coloured light. Christopher says his installation “announces” the airport to visitors as they enter or exit the main terminal and I am certain this component of the trip would be unforgettable. If I ever visit Miami, I can now count on one thing – a lengthy trip to the airport. You can find me in the hall of colour, staring at that pattern of light…

(spotted on designboom)

If you were a kid and this was your community centre, would you ever want to go home? The Sports and Leisure Centre in Saint-Cloud, France was opened over a year and half ago but I still can’t get over the fantastic use of colour. Designed by KOZ Architectes, the environment-friendly building is a bold gem of architecture. Arch Daily called it a “little castle and cubist mountain” which is a pretty perfect description for a building that houses the imaginations of so many children. The colourful exterior glass is a palette of pure harmony. The thick stripes could have gone horribly wrong but, with fantastic colour selection, they seamlessly compliment each other like a perfectly organized crayon box. I love the night shots of the centre as the illuminated horizontal rooms “light up” numerous vertical swatches of colour. Inside the building, the architects repeated the same systematic colour system to create an easy navigation system for children and reflect a bold graffiti-like style. If I lived in Saint-Cloud, I would try to find an apartment with a direct view of this beautiful building. Oh and I might try out that climbing wall bathed in chartreuse light… More city councils need to follow the lead of Saint-Cloud and explore vibrant architecture for community centres and other public spaces as they really can become sources of city design pride and more imporantly, colourful castles of child-like wonder.

(photographs by stephan lucas and via arch daily)

Pantone Hotel is a boutique hotel in Brussels devoted to colour and designed around the famous Pantone Matching System. Although it opened last year, my obsession with visiting has not dimmed one bit so I decided I had to post about it. Designed by architect Olivier Hannaert and interior designer Michel Penneman, the building feels very similar to Pantone swatches with bright white features creating a canvas for saturated bursts of colour. Each of the seven floors is focused on a different hue so you can decide if you want to stay in a passionate red room or a tranquil blue one. I like how the room numbers are three Pantone swatch numbers. The hotel lobby is the cheerful heart of the colour drenched building and houses the biggest selection of Pantone licensed products worldwide. From the coloured glass on the exterior to the rugs of small vivid squares, I love how every detail has been thought of and that they all embrace Pantone swatches with wit and style. Maybe one day, we will have a conference in this embassy of colour and discuss the world of hue with a Pantone mug in hand?

(photographs by serge anton via pantone hotel)

These images are from a couple of years ago but they had such jaw-dropping effects on me yesterday when I saw them for the first time, I knew I had to share! Tham & Videgård Arkitekter re-imagined this traditional Art Nouveau apartment in Stockholm in the most striking of ways. The entire space features dramatic oversized and multicoloured parquet flooring inspired by the seasonally changing colours of adjacent Humlegården Park “from winter grey and black to summertime bright and deep green, to orange, red and yellow in autumn”. I don’t think it would be humanly possible to have a bad day in this apartment. Colour therapy meets architecture? It is definitely a feat of colour mixing and pattern. My personal favourite are the rooms with a neon orange, hot pink and black hues. Do you think you could live in a space this uniquely dazzling? At the very least, this apartment has inspired me to paint some doorways in vibrant colours!

(photographs by Åke E:son Lindman; spotted on yatzer and fine little home)

Curaçao is a brightly hued island country surrounded by the sparkling turquoise of the Southern Caribbean Sea. It recently became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands but the architecture and design soul of its native country remains a distinct characteristic. In fact, Curaçao is often called Caribbean’s “Little Netherlands”. The neon blue liqueur “curacao” is probably the first thing that comes to mind when the country name is mentioned but aside from insanely bright booze, it is an absolutely stunning country. The island is covered in gorgeous natural hues from uniquely vibrant flowers to a lush green landscape edged with a vibrant blue sea. In addition, the capital city of Willemstad is full of beautiful historical buildings that feature Dutch details and a crayon box’s worth of colourful paint. The cityscape is so unique that UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. Thank goodness. That means these vibrant shops and homes are here to stay. Curaçao is full of spectacular nature, colourful building and festivals, intriguing history and beaches with dazzling sea vistas. I could post endless pictures and adjectives but the bottom line is that I have a major crush on this colour saturated jewel in the Caribbean Sea!

(photography via infinite magic photography, infinite magic photography, mari ward foster, peter koke, keith delong, pietcur, versgeperst, haroldo castro, dksluis, scout13ca, derpunk, bea moedt, greetje dijkstra, michael from minnesota, syncronaut, haroldo castro, pietcur, soul aperture, syncronaut, derplunk, hawkfish, air farce and duenitas digital world)

Buenos Aires has been at the very top of my wanderlust list for a decade or so. Often called “Paris of South America”, the port city is a mosaic of Latin American flavour with a distinct European influence. The birthplace of tango, Buenos Aires seems to echo the dance’s passion across all aspects of its culture. From fashion to football to art and architecture, there is so much character and colour in this eclectic city. I found it almost impossible to stop looking for images! One particularly colourful area is La Boca, a working-class neighbourhood and tourist hub that that features tango clubs and vividly-hued tin houses. I can’t wait to visit Buenos Aires one day and see this seductive city in person. Any place where tango just randomly breaks out on city streets just needs to be seen, right? Even the subways have elaborate and colourful tile patterns! I’m hoping to feature Argentina as a whole one of these days as there are gorgeous landscapes and unique areas all over this beautiful, one-of-a-kind country.

(photographs via bob krist, hanna ali, for 91 days, paulete matos, robbie ewing, monica l, paulo capiotti, robert o’duill, argentina countrywide, carlosmf, clelia pellicano, kk_wpg, thomas locke hobbs, juan ignacio rela, thomas locke hobbs, carlos a. redondo, stephen weaver, daniel-on-tour, azotesdivinos, junior reis, nina’s clicks, hardieboys, for 91 days, paulo capiotti, thought for thought, globe trodden, peter mcbride & ryan murphy)

I think I just figured out where I could spend an entire day and never get bored. Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson recently finished his five year installation titled ‘Your rainbow panorama‘ – a brilliant, rainbow-hued viewing gallery on top of the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum in Denmark. A beautiful love poem to colour and vibrant addition to the cityscape that transforms as the light of each day changes. I particularly love the vibrant glow at night. If I am ever missing in Denmark, look here first! I’ll probably be the one looking dreamily out the magenta section or perhaps jumping up and down in the turquoise area…

In his artist statement, Olafur expands on how the viewing gallery works and the meaning behind the project: “Enveloped in the rainbow environment, you produce afterimages in hues complementary to the colours in the glass panes around you. If you look at the city through red glass, your eyes develop a green afterimage. If you maintain a quick pace, the colours remain vibrant. But if you pause in one colour zone, the hue around you grows pale while the colours in your peripheral vision, where the walkway curves, intensify. Colour intensities depend on your speed… The colour spectrum speaks to the museum collections below… Colour intensifies reality at all times.”

(photographs via Studio Olafur Eliasson)

I am already pretty in love with India as it is a country that embraces colour like no other. While trying to learn more about the nation, I saw gorgeous images of Jodhpur, a city in Northern India with the nickname “The Blue City”. One glance at the cityscape and its abundance of vibrant blue hues and the nickname needs no explanation. There seem to be many theories as to why the heavy use of blue exists but most focus on the past caste system, mosquito and termite prevention or the ability of blue architecture to remain cool. Whatever the reason, this part of India is pretty magical. Blue homes, brown desert features, bright sari patterns and a rainbow of market goods – Jodhpur is the perfect spot for a true colour lover!

(photographs by soundstorm vfx, foreign devil correspondent, arjun, dwrawlinson, nevil zaveri, bb, nekineko, entrelec, borgan, sreekanthmm, sunyuta, nekineko, l_prusecki, nameet & sachinritvika)

If someone asked you to visualize the architecture colours of most banks, what would pop into your mind? Conservative hues and neutrals? Well, after spotting Japan’s Sugamo Shinkin Bank, I may never look at a financial building the same way again! Designed in Shimura by Emmanuelle Moureaux Architecture + Design, the exterior of the building is a feat of twelve beautifully stacked rainbow-hued layers. The vibrant colours were arranged from warm to cool so the blue hues on top of the building would seamlessly disappear into the sky. The interior features furniture to match the exterior hues as well as white open space and three cylindrical skylights that fill the building with natural light and warmth. At night and according to weather or season, the building is lightly illuminated. The glowing layers not only make the bank visible but create a colourful warmth on the urban landscape. Sugamo Shinkin Bank is a gorgeous work of art that proves banking or governmental buildings need not be neutral to be official. (p.s. the final picture is of colour swatches for the exterior layers. What a dream it would be to sit in on a planning meeting like that!)

(via design boom; images via emmanuelle moureaux architecture + design)

If your child’s school looked anything like Wahroonga Preparatory School in Australia, I don’t think you would have as much trouble convincing them to wake up for class! Designed by GGF Architects, the use of colourful fibre-cement panels creates an engaging environment for learning, compliments the stained glass windows of the adjacent historical church and serves as an architectural feature in the city. I can’t help but think that this wildly creative and Lego-like building will nuture and inspire some very talented creative thinkers of the future…

(spotted on design milk; photographs via ggf architects)

Golden desert sand, brilliant blue skies, lush green land, dusty urban life, ornate traditional dress, pure white snow, chestnut and ebony wild horses – Mongolia has such a stunning and distinct colour palette. Part of the reason Mongolia is the land of a million earthy colour swatches is its geography. A landlocked nation, Mongolia includes the Gobi Desert to the South, snowcapped mountains to the North and grasslands, forests, lakes and rivers in between. In addition to all of the beautiful landscapes, I have always been fascinating by the vibrant and completely unique faces of the Mongolian people. There is just something magical about them. A sparkle in the eye perhaps? When preparing this post, I also learned more about the traditional Mongolian khadags – blue silk scarves symbolizing goodwill and the open sky. These scarves are given for occasions like weddings, funerals, births, graduations, departing friends and other ceremonial events. When researching photos, the beautiful blue textiles seemed to pop up all over the place and only added another layer of gorgeous colour to the wonder that is Mongolia.

(images via dimitri mundorff, daily travel photos, daniel zollinger, li gang, melinda, daniel zollinger, john white, jim murray, yeeship, christopher de bruyn, charles meacham, mark heard, daniel zollinger, irena portfolio, john white, ms aitch, pixdaus)