urban-graphic-object

Colour in Urban Places: A Case Study of Leicester City Football Club Blue

This project presents an empirical investigation on the process of place-making through colour design at a local level. The guiding research question is how does colour contribute to constructing place identity in urban environments?  The research comprises a case study inquiry of the Leicester City Football Club (LCFC) in the United Kingdom that directs the research towards an understanding of how colour functions through architecture in a dynamic urban context.

The case study focuses on the impact of ‘colour theming’ on place identity. By tracing the Leicester City Football Club colour, blue, the research is an extensive exploration of the various places, for example, including stadium, pubs, retail shops and neighbourhoods, where the Leicester City Football Club blue is on display. Simultaneously, virtual space, such as website, television and social media, is also considered as complementary to visual experience.

The research findings conclude that the construction of place identity through colour is formed by branding, identity and visual culture.In this study, place identity means the impression of a branded place, the emotional response when attached to place, and interpretation and understanding of a system of images. Constructing the place identity involves colour design as an underpinning and defining activity, based on the notions of identity making and employing a combination of theoretical and practical methods as part of the iterative design process.

Read about the research here

Xu, J (2019) Colour in Urban Places: A Case Study of Leicester City Football Club Blue. Journal of Colour Research and Application. Vol 19; 1-9. http://doi.org/10.1002/col.22378

Colour Identity in Urban Place: King Power Stadium https://doi.org/10.17028/rd.lboro.6210146.v1

Project team

Project team Researcher: Jie Xu Supervisors: Dr Robert Harland and Dr Roberta Bernabei