Sven Hesselgren

Hesselgren’s observations do not only contribute to the future NCS system (NCS); they also assist in the development of colour-charts which are intended for use by architects and other professional groups involved in interior and exterior design. Start-point for the system is the observation that each impression of colour can arise through the perception of six elementary colours: namely, white, black, yellow, red, green and blue. The system, which is based on a 24-part full-colour-circle, attempts to bring increased substance and clarity to Johansson’s order system. (Detailed text)


Date: This construction by phenomenologist Hesselgren is a preliminary step towards the production of a colour atlas and dates from 1953.

Country of origin: Sweden

Basic colours: Yellow, red, blue and green

Form: Modified double-cone

Application: Architecture, interior and exterior design

Related systems: HeringPopeJohanssonN.C.S.

Bibliography: S. Hesselgren, «Colour-Atlas», Stockholm 1955; S. Hesselgren, «Some basic facts about colour», Die Farbe 4, p. 304 (1955); S. Hesselgren, «Why Color Order Systems?», Color Research and Application 9, pp. 220-228 (1984).