Beyond the Gray Arena Walls, How Façade Color Shapes the Spectators’ Preference?

Abstract

In recent years, the aesthetic design of sports stadiums, particularly their façade color, has drawn increasing research attention due to its impact on public perception, emotional response, and behavioral intention. This study investigates how the exterior color tone of a stadium (warm, cool, or neutral) affects viewers’ aesthetic judgments and preferences. Using AI-generated images of fictional stadiums, participants evaluated each stadium’s facade in terms of preference, beauty, simplicity, and familiarity on a 7-point Likert scale. As a result, paired sample t-tests revealed that cool-toned (blue) stadiums were significantly more preferred than both warm-toned (red) and neutral (gray) stadiums.