Color application in vernacular architecture in Southern India: An Intangible cultural phenomenon?

The study of color aesthetics should always consider color interactions. This study aimed to understand the color application in southern India by identifying it in the cityscapes and analyzing its characteristics. Field observations, a survey, and interviews were undertaken. An online questionnaire was administered to 39 undergraduate and master’s degree students in Industrial Design courses at VIT University Vellore. The article discusses the appropriate methodology for color criticism research and its multidisciplinary field. The study concludes that color in Southern India has a complex and elaborated application. Color contrast and saturation can be used not merely to enhance and distinguish shapes and forms creating the visual effect of detachment between its elements but as a paradoxical economic status indicator. Keywords: Architecture; Color; Criticism; Design; India; Visual Culture.