A Case Study on the Urban Image through Color

색채를 통해 나타나는 도시이미지 사례 연구

For building an urban image, various elements such as symbolic building, ethnic characteristics, historical background, natural environment, and diverse cultural elements can influence on it. Many cities in developed countries are showing their unique urban image reflecting their own culture, history, and aesthetic tastes. Especially color, one of the major design elements, has greater impact than other visual factors to form an urban characteristic. Despite the long history and cultural background, Seoul as a capital city of Korea does not show an unique city image with the perspective of color. Recently, Seoul has been designated as '2010 World Design Capital' and implements various urban design projects. As a leading city of design, Seoul is trying to make its urban identity through the own symbolic environment color. The purpose of this study is to find an environmental color scheme for developing a desirable urban design through several cases of foreign countries. For the purpose, Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Tokyo were selected as case cities. Each of the cities showed their own cultural characteristics and made their unique urban image by appropriate usage of their natural environment, symbolic building, emblem of country, and so on. We need to consider these successful cases to build up the image of Seoul.