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Painter Georges Meurant’s greatly significant contribution was
the occasion to systematically express that link between colours and
architecture. The painter himself explained the principles of his artistic
method, particularly focusing on what he calls “figural induction”, which
gives polychrome quite a different function from the geometric one
or that of an abstract value. Pattern neutrality serves a composition
producing figural perception effects, in the sense that considering various
concatenations between coloured squares (or even rectangles or trapezia)
form countless combinations, like endless episodes of a long visual
narration – materials, of all sizes and nuances, turning into the agents of
a constant modification of perception. Theorisation could be attempted
beyond the painter’s explanations in terms of animation. That word refers
to the kinetic effects produced by a succession and assembly of images,
be they devoid of any objective reference, and also signals the goal for
sensitiveness action (the latter being generated by living beings, i.e. non-
passive ones), and eventually for stimulating psychic life against entropy,
weariness and boredom.

Philippe Samyn specified the meaning he gives the mission entrusted
to the designing artist, creator of his settings in various recent buildings.
Unlike what can be observed with Loos and even more obviously with
Le Corbusier, colours do not proceed from architecture, they are no
immediate parts of its tectonic language (the building’s skin, walls and
coatings) but from a distinct and relatively independent perception order.
Colours set a sort of mediation between “rough sizes” handled by the
architect and the “sensation logic” coming under the sole artistic language.
This original philosophy accepts architecture’s own order, characterised by
its very geometric and mathematical neutrality whilst allowing for artistic
might to deliberately act upon perception. Philippe Samyn’s interest in the
spontaneously achromatic expression of his architecture demonstrates
this. With him at least, colours suggest white, black and particularly a
fundamental shade of grey the architect elaborated, void of any parasite
additive, and magnifying all the colours of the visible spectrum coming to
him to be juxtaposed. This principle is important: through this deliberate
reservation, colours are not scorned but there is a desire to create spatial
(therefore architectural) conditions allowing for added colours (those
reflecting and nuancing natural light) to display all its modulation, intensity
and temperature effects. The architect also elaborated a “dust grey” tint
aiming at making unavoidable deposits on showing elements of metallic