Color serves as one of architecture's most powerful tools, possessing the ability to dramatically alter spatial perception, create atmospheric effects, and guide human experience within built environments. Far from being merely decorative, color functions as a precise instrument that architects and interior designers use to structure relationships between spaces, establish specific moods, and create visual continuity across various scales of design.
While color theory has long influenced architectural practice, few have explored its systematic application as thoroughly as Swiss-French architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier. His revolutionary Polychromie Architecturale, first developed in 1931 and later expanded in 1959, presents a carefully curated palette of 63 architectural colors designed not as isolated tones but as a coherent system. These colors, rooted in natural pigments, were organized into series and keyboards that allow designers to combine them harmoniously to evoke specific atmospheric effects—whether calm, vibrant, or expansive.
For Le Corbusier, color was inseparable from spatial design itself. His palette was specifically engineered to shape perception of depth, intensify or soften natural light, and fundamentally structure the character of architectural spaces. Nearly a century after its creation, these tones remain remarkably timeless, with their natural foundation, subtle gradations, and inherent combinability making them as relevant in contemporary interiors as they were in modernist housing projects and civic architecture.
However, a persistent challenge in architectural color application lies in maintaining consistency across all building elements, including the smallest technical components such as switches, outlets, and intercoms, which often appear as neutral interruptions in otherwise carefully orchestrated color schemes. This gap raises a fundamental question: if color is to be considered a true architectural tool, shouldn't it extend to every detail, regardless of size?
German manufacturer JUNG has directly addressed this challenge through an innovative partnership with Les Couleurs Suisse AG, the exclusive licensor of Les Couleurs Le Corbusier, established in 2014. This collaboration has successfully translated Le Corbusier's Polychromie Architecturale into the realm of modern electrical installations, allowing essential building components to speak the same chromatic language as their surrounding architecture.
The initiative began with JUNG's LS 990 switch range, now available in all 63 shades of the Le Corbusier palette. Each piece undergoes hand-lacquering to capture the distinctive matte quality and depth of the original tones. What started as a singular product gesture has evolved into a comprehensive design strategy that treats color as integral to technical components rather than an optional aesthetic finish.
This chromatic integration has expanded to include the LS 1912 toggle switch, a model that pays homage to the earliest forms of electrical installations while incorporating modern functionality. Its sleek metal body and rocker arm recall the tactile appeal of vintage toggles, while its KNX-capable version integrates seamlessly into contemporary smart building systems. The design bridges past and present, maintaining historical aesthetic appeal while meeting current technological demands.
For applications where flush installation proves impractical, JUNG's LS Cube system offers comprehensive chromatic precision in surface-mounted configurations. Available as switches, sockets, dimmers, motion detectors, or KNX components, the LS Cube housing comes in all 63 colors from the Le Corbusier range. This versatility allows these elements to either blend subtly with exposed concrete, timber, or painted surfaces, or serve as deliberate accent points within the overall design composition.
The integration extends beyond interior elements to encompass the journey from exterior to interior spaces. JUNG's door intercom systems demonstrate how even highly functional components can be absorbed into comprehensive architectural color concepts, ensuring that threshold experiences maintain the same deliberate attention to chromatic harmony as interior spaces.
Advancing into digital territory, the LS Touch panel represents the evolution of this color philosophy into contemporary smart home technology. This digital interface maintains the same chromatic options while providing advanced functionality, ensuring that technological progress doesn't compromise design continuity. The system successfully bridges traditional toggle switches and cutting-edge digital panels within a unified color framework.
Together, these electrical installation products form more than a simple product catalog—they represent a fundamental shift in how technical building components can participate in architectural color theory. By translating Le Corbusier's timeless palette across all installation types, JUNG ensures that color remains consistent and connecting, linking past architectural traditions with present needs and future possibilities.
The practical applications range from subtle integrations to bold statements. A soft gris moyen toggle switch can disappear into its surroundings while maintaining chromatic harmony, while a deep rouge vermillon intercom creates a striking accent point. A subtle vert jaune clair touch panel can complement natural materials, while a vibrant bleu céruléen cube set against exposed concrete becomes an integral part of the spatial composition rather than a technical afterthought.
This systematic approach to color in architecture reaffirms that successful design encompasses more than form and function—it requires continuity and the creation of environments where every element, regardless of scale, contributes to a coherent architectural concept. When color is applied consistently, systematically, and comprehensively across all design scales, it becomes a true participant in spatial composition, transforming technical necessities into integral design elements that enhance rather than interrupt the architectural experience.
