Shades of “off-white”

Yesterday afternoon, I was listening my favorite radio channel, KCRW, and the conversation was about the exterior paint color for Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York which has been under a major restoration project since 2005. Couple years ago, I visited the museum in one of my trips to New York. As they were discussing the topic on the radio, I searched my mind for the images of the museum.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright actually chose a different shade of color for the building – a color that was painted over five years after the museum opened in 1959. Wright never liked the color white.

Now the discussion is which shade of off-white should be used. Warm yellowish beige or cool, grayish white? Or, in the words of Benjamin Moore: Powell Buff – the color Wright liked or London Fog – the color the museum has had for years.

With respect to the great architect, I think London Fog looks better.

Tags: frank lloyd wright, modern, museum, new york, usa

Category: Architecture