Quantifying the color palettes of Naghsh‐e Jahan Square in Isfahan

Abstract

In the 1960s, Jean‐Philippe Lenclos introduced a structured methodology for determining the color palettes of urban environments. After half a century, this method is widely used all over the world. Since this process contains subjective and time‐consuming steps, we propose a quantitative improvement of Lenclos' methodology by introducing a fully digital procedure. This removes observer subjectivity and dependence on local illumination conditions. We applied the digital process to the four monumental buildings of Naghsh‐e Jahan Square in Isfahan, a masterpiece of world architecture. The resulting color palettes are more accurate than those obtained in earlier studies. We obtained more accurate color coordinates, characterized by a wider color gamut, and quantified color variations within buildings and between monuments as well.

City-Scale Mapping of Urban Façade Color Using Street-View Imagery

“…Color charts have been used to measure the urban façade color based on the observer's visual inspection of sampling areas [7,12]; however, measuring the urban façade color with color charts is highly subjective, relying on the observer's personal visual experience. Spectrophotometers and colorimeters are applied to record color measurements on-site, based on results of sampling locations [13,14].…”