The Red Hue and Color Sharpness in Qajar Architecture, Color Research on 20 Springhouse Ceilings in Tabriz ‎

Being one of the aesthetic elements, color has always held a significant position in Iranian architecture. ‎Observation of the works of architecture remaining from the Qajar era suggests the idea that sharp ‎colors have had a greater application and have been more warmly embraced. For this purpose, the ‎houses in Tabriz –the city known as Qajar Princes’ place of residence and home to some of the best set ‎of residential buildings- have been selected for the present case study. On the other hand, springhouses ‎have always had distinct ornaments and striking colored ceilings given their pivotal role for family get-‎togethers. In other words, the main reason behind choosing the ceilings of these spaces for the present ‎case study is their distinguished and unparalleled position compared to the other structural canopies in ‎similar spaces. The present study seeks to investigate the chromatology of Qajar era architecture and ‎verify the idea indicating the sharpness and vividness of the colors used in it through monitoring the ‎frequency of hues and chroma of the ceilings from this era. The study seeks to answer the following ‎questions: Which hues are more widely present in the case study? Which level of chroma would the ‎colors used be categorized into, and does this level of chroma place them in the vividness range? The ‎statistical population comprised 43 ceilings, all of which were determined through field study and ‎filtered based on the important criteria of the presence of color, authenticity, and health. Eventually, 20 ‎ceilings that were mainly remaining from the Qajar era were selected, and their color ranges were ‎identified using Mansell and ISCC-NBS color systems. The reflected plan of the ceilings was then drawn ‎and color contents were calculated through field study, photographing, and the use of drawing and ‎illustration software. The research method was descriptive-analytic and data collection was carried out ‎through desk research and field study. Results indicated that the color palette (frequent colors) of the ‎ceilings mainly included the three hues of "red, blue, and green", with the colors from the red hue ‎ranking first in terms of quantity at 36.33%. Color chroma assessment indicated that most (81.48%) of ‎the colors used have been selected from a color range with high chroma levels which appears to be a ‎deliberate strategy to imply more sharpness and articulation. The result of such an architectural taste is ‎the dominant establishment of the used colors in the vivid range, a taste that has probably been close ‎to the preferable color taste of its time. The impressiveness of the ceilings' color coordination is ‎undoubtedly largely owing to the presence of the color white. This color has appeared in an embossed ‎form and saved the final composition from color accumulation and chaos by enclosing the colors. ‎Falling into the category of unpainted materials, the color white has a quantity almost equal to the red ‎hue at 35.9%, which indicates that Qajar architects and designers had a great level of artistic skill and ‎wisdom to manage and organize colors. ‎