Shadows of Concrete: The Reasons Behind the Colorless World

The Colorless World: Concrete, Minimalism, and Global Change

In recent years, it has been widely discussed how cities are becoming grayer and spaces more colorless. This phenomenon, frequently brought up on social media, raises a question that requires deeper thought: Why are colors gradually disappearing from both our physical world and our inner lives?

The Role of Urbanization and Polluted Air

One of the main reasons behind the world becoming colorless is the impact of rapid urbanization and the spread of concrete. Giant buildings, asphalt roads, and expanded highways change the city skyline while leaving nature and natural habitats behind. The cold, hard texture of concrete almost swallows the natural colors around us. Meanwhile, the increase in the number of vehicles and air pollution is making the sky increasingly gray. This affects both the exhaustion of nature and people’s daily lives. The disappearance of the colors around us also creates a loss in our inner world; our connection with nature weakens, pushing us toward a more colorless life.

The Misunderstanding of Minimalism

Another significant factor is the misunderstanding of minimalism. Minimalism is not just a simplified lifestyle; it is a philosophy that combines aesthetics and functionality. However, mistakes made in the name of “minimalism” are growing. In architecture, for example, glass-covered, gray, windowless buildings are concrete examples of this misunderstanding. Buildings made of concrete and glass, which lack functionality, are built only in the name of modernity, yet they create soulless and aesthetically poor spaces. On the other hand, minimalist architecture like Japanese designs, which consider nature and the environment, offer structures that appeal to the human spirit. It is always important to strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality.

Income Levels and Colorlessness

Another factor is the effect of income levels on colorlessness. People, struggling to meet their basic needs, are deprived of the luxury of making aesthetic and colorful choices. From clothing to interiors, from outdoor spaces to furniture, simplicity, functionality, and cost-effective choices dominate. In societies where people live with limited resources, dark colors like black, dark brown, or navy blue dominate because additional colors are considered luxury. However, communities in more affluent conditions, once their basic needs are met, begin to add color to their lives. They plant flowers on their balconies, buy colorful skirts and coats. This leads to a happier, more colorful, and smiling life.

The Return of Colors

However, there is hope in this world! The time for colors to return to our lives is coming. Our nostalgia for past years might actually be a reflection; because in the past, people placed more emphasis on coloring their lives and drawing inspiration from nature. Today, this transformation is also visible in fashion and living spaces. Thanks to personal preferences, environmental factors, and cultural changes, it is possible for colors to re-enter our lives. In this era of rapid minimalization, perhaps creating a colorful world can help us be reborn, both internally and socially.

The world’s colorlessness is not just an aesthetic loss but also a reflection of societal and environmental changes. Factors like urbanization, misunderstandings of minimalism, and income inequality are making our world colorless. However, by realizing this loss of color, it is possible to bring color back to our living spaces and daily lives. As a society nostalgic for the colorful world of the past, taking steps towards a more colorful, more aesthetic life will be an important beginning.