Los Ríos en Colores – Landscape Colour
The colour issue: How to systematise locally perceived colours for contemporary design applications?
Colour Research | Palette Creation | Local Colours
This project focused on the development of strategies to create a colour chart that captures the unique chromatic identity of the Los Ríos Region in southern Chile. The chart is based on direct observation and precise measurement of both atmospheric and material colours found throughout the region. Los Ríos features an exceptional landscape—stretching from the sea to the Andes—home to 63 rivers, 11 lakes, diverse vegetation, varied soil types, and ever-changing skies that shift in brightness and hue throughout the year, and even during a single day. This extraordinary geography gives rise to a distinctive atmospheric colour palette, shaped by the interaction of light and natural elements.
We developed a regional colour chart composed of 208 colours, derived from the chromatic analysis of natural elements. These were divided into two main categories: objects (such as soils, rocks, leaves, and flowers) and atmospheres (including skies, bodies of water, and broader landscape views). Each colour was standardized across seven major colour systems: NCS (Natural Colour System), RGB, CMYK, Munsell, CIELab, Pantone, and Hex.
My role in the project included serving as a consultant on colour measurement and management protocols, as well as acting as the colour designer during the creation of the colour chart and palettes. A final selection of 48 core colours and the design of 40 thematic colour palettes—tailored for diverse design applications—were produced and have been officially patented. The project was a FONDART Nacional Nº 660802 research and was funded by the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID), Chile.
Project Team: Elisa Cordero-Jahr (Main Researcher, Designer); Ingrid Calvo Ivanovic (Colour Designer and Consultant) Victor Gerding (Forestry Engineer); Carlos Rojas (Geographer); Eréndira Martínez (Graphic Designer); Catalina García (Designer); Camila Gómez-Marañón (Designer); Belén Barrera (Designer); Natalia Figueroa (Design Student); Andrea Aburto (Management).
Years: 2023 – 2024
See more: Research Project’s Website.
