Cor e identidade do ambiente urbano: o bairro Porto, Pelotas/RS.

Abstract

This research investigated the role of color in shaping the identity of a neighborhood in its historical urban context from an environmental perception perspective. The city of Pelotas (Rio Grande do Sul State) was selected as a case study; it includes the historic Porto district among its neighborhoods. The Porto neighborhood has several consistent characteristics including building heights and uses, and incorporates a variety of styles, ranging from eclectic period to the present day. Its painted facades – sometimes forming chromatic nuances, sometimes composing colorful mosaics with neighboring buildings – start composing a new image of the neighborhood. This research was carried out in two stages: at first, a survey of the peculiarities of physical and chromatic structures in the neighborhood was conducted; then it was followed by an assessment of building colors by people attending the neighborhood. Two distinct groups of respondents were created to properly weigh answers by people more and less familiar with the neighborhood: residents and passersby. Attained results indicate (1) the existence of specific chromatic relations within the Porto area with its visual language, both in terms of color palette and structure; (2) legibility (strong image) in the neighborhood related to its polychromy; and (3) differences in the evaluation of residents and bystanders regarding pleasantness and their satisfaction with the aesthetics of the neighborhood buildings. As a by-product of this research, a theoretical basis was created to assist in further studies of chromatic identity in areas of historical relevance. Based on various formal and symbolic aspects, a database of the Porto district characteristics was created. This study may also serve as a reference when preparing a color master plan for the neighborhood.