COLOUR UNDONE

Painted colour is ephemeral.

In the public domain, it’s common to see patches on buildings where the walls have been over painted in a slightly different colour (usually to cover graffiti or other repairs). Once a project is handed over, it’s up to others (council/maintenance teams/property owners) to maintain.

For the North Bondi and Marks Park amenities blocks – I used the Australian Standards Colour Chart to specify the colours, with the idea that no matter which paint company made up the colour for repairs or repainting – in theory at least, if they got the name right, the colour should be exactly the same shade as the original.

But theory is not reality. Weathering of the surface over time, the UV fading, a different brand of paint with different gloss level, all these things make it nearly impossible to patch a painted wall and not see where the new paint meets the old.

In actual fact, the layers of ‘hit and miss’ over painting on the picnic shelters at Bronte Beach were an inspiration for the colour palette of the North Bondi Amenities.

Painted surfaces are destined for renewal, adjustment and reinvention over time.
So, don’t worry about how it will look in 10 years time or talk yourself out of experimenting, paint for now!