Book excerpt: What role does colour play in our built environment? How are our attitudes to colour changing? What potential do new technologies bring for the use of colour and light in architecture? Combining real examples from practice with colour theory, this book will help you to fully understand the role and impact of colour in our urban spaces. Contributions from leading architects Will Alsop, Legorreta and Legorreta, John Outram, Sauerbruch Hutton and Neuterlings Riedijk accompany those from artists Alain Bony and Yann Kersalé, and from colour researchers such as Kristina Enberg and Anders Hård, who developed the Natural Colour System. Topics include: how and why we see colour methodologies in the documentation of traditional colours the development of new urban palettes recent colour psychology research the effect of light levels on human behaviour dramatic colour effects achievable with light guidelines for future deployment of colour in the built environment. This is a sequel to the immensely influential Colour for Architecture, published in 1976. Much has changed in 30 years; new cutting edge technologies and materials have emerged allowing architects to experiment with colour and light in an energy efficient and sustainable way, paving the way for a more colourful and exciting built environment.