Interpreting colour semiotics in Hong Kong's MTR stations: An analytical study

Abstract

Hong Kong is a place with abundant historical value that combines Western and Eastern cultures due to its unique historical background, such as its colonial history and ancient Chinese customs. And those regional cultural identities can be presented in the urban built environment. While colours are fundamental elements of our spatial perceptions and environmental experience, they are the substance of how we experience the physical world. The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) in Hong Kong exemplifies this with its vibrant mosaic colour designs featured across its stations. This article suggests viewing environmental colours as social semiotic resources to interpret the local characteristics and historical features through the colour selection in mosaics. This approach aims to deepen our understanding of these environmental colours' cultural symbolism and historical attributes. With a particular focus on urban MTR stations in Hong Kong, this study collected five MTR line station colour samples by applying the NCS colour system. The study identified five motivations for these colour practices from the perspectives of functionality, regional identity, cultural background, and colour regularities, illustrated with specific station colour examples. The research highlights how colour schemes in Hong Kong's MTR stations reflect regional cultural nuances and explains the significance of colours in spatial design and public interaction.