Allen - Blog 12

Central St. Giles Court is mixed use development in London that literally creates a stark contrast with the neighboring buildings.  Its use of brightly colored terracotta for the facades can not go unnoticed as the colors seem to burn your eyes.  The seeming whimsical choices for the exterior colors might have been better placed on the interior facades for a more private enjoyment and to draw people in as opposed to pushing them away after offending their eyes with such exposed obscene colors.

If the colors were applied to the interior facades then the natural shadows would subdue the eye-watering reaction caused by the shock to the eyes; and without the softer browns and greys to contrast the sharpness of the colors would not be fully realized in their own space.

  The notion that this mixed use development successfully integrates into the local urban environment is laughable.

Cite:"Central St. Giles Court / Renzo Piano + Fletcher Priest Architects" 17 Jan 2011. ArchDaily. Accesed 27 Jun 2015. <http://www.archdaily.com/104147/central-st-giles-court-renzo-piano-fletcher-priest-architects/>