Editorial
Why Desert Architecture Loves Earth Tones
In the deserts of North Africa and Arabia, ochre and terracotta were never a palette choice — they were what the wall was made of.
In most cities, colour is something you apply. In the old desert towns it was something you excavated — the red of Marrakech, the brown of Shibam and the gold of Diriyah all pulled straight from the ground underfoot. From iron-oxide chemistry to Hassan Fathy to the rammed-earth revival in Saudi Arabia, this is the story of a colour that outlived the place it came from.
