CAN COLOURS ADD TO SUSTAINABILITY?

"COLOUR IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FORM."

We went to Verner Panton's exhibition on International Museum Day. Although his designs are rather decadent, there are certain lessons to learn from his principles. "Colours is more important than form"? We have been hearing the opposite for decades. Here is the low down.

As a child, Danish designer and architect Verner Pantn (1926–1998) always dreamt of a large room full of colourful cushions. His designs reveal that love for bold colours and his preference for spatial harmony and comfort.

Unlike his peers who followed the Scandinavian handcrafted tradition, Panton experimented with new materials and industrial production techniques. He was eager to explore new possibilities and seek new ways of living. In his opinion, "colour is more important than form", and a good combination of colours could add three-dimensionality to a space. But he did not neglect the object's form either; for instance, the geometric shape and organic interiors of the 'Phastasy Landscape' (as shown) encourage 'interaction' between the user and the object.

Over a career that spanned almost half a century, Panton emerged as one of the most colourful, imaginative, innoative and forward-looking designers of the 20th century.