Swinging Red

摘要

When we analyse a colour we must distinguish the iconic ones from the syntactic ones. Among the iconic ones we find the functional colours (e.g. that of the fire extinguisher), the historical ones - colours that have established themselves over time (e.g. Ferrari red) - and the material ones that are specific to a material and can be real, imitative or evocative. For example, if we talk about brick red, we are not referring to a colour, but to a material, terracotta. The definition goes beyond the concept of colour and therefore has a very strong, material iconic value. It goes beyond colour. From the colour of terracotta we can also trace the region of origin and the period of its production. The cladding that architect Giovanni Muzio chose for the Palazzo della Triennale in Milan, on the other hand, is an imitative material: klinker. His choice has a precise link with the construction tradition of our country and a dialectical reference with the nearby Castello Sforzesco. The imitative colours instead, take their inspiration from original materials.