The power of one colour

The Dulux Colour Awards Grand Prix winners have been celebrated this year for their exemplary use of a solitary colour as the core design strategy. While seemingly simple, this approach demanded significant skill and precision, as demonstrated in the projects by the design practices in their own unique ways.

The Australian Grand Prix was awarded to Richards Stanisich for its design of the Sarah & Sebastian Armadale store. Its key strategy involved the prominent use of a vibrant green hue, contrasted with reflective elements within multifaceted spaces, resulting in an ethereal, underwater-like atmosphere.

“We have been overwhelmed with the exceptional level of innovation expressed in the range of projects this year, " said Andrea Lucena-Orr, Dulux Colour and Communications Manager.

“The combination of extraordinarily original colour use and outstanding architecture across all genres makes the judges’ job difficult but, equally, it is testament to the talent, ambition and commitment of architects and their clients to design with colour.”

A trend of rule-breaking and genre-defying colour application was evident across all categories. Notably, contemporary colours were used unconventionally in heritage projects to differentiate old from new.

Another emerging theme was the softening of traditionally "hard" building types, exemplified by using graduated greens for a cemetery depot, a choice praised for its appropriateness. The student award winners were characterised by sensitivity, sustainability, and optimism.

In the residential categories, Elonera House by Studio Doherty was awarded Residential Interior Winner, with its dominant hue of grey with ‘brushstrokes of other colours, such as duck-egg blue, dusky pink and pale yellow’.

Colour was ‘used to reflect changing seasons and light throughout the day, creating visual warmth and framing the landscape and sky’ in the Residential Exterior winning entry, Dunstan by SSdH.