Form + Colour
Reimagining a medical clinic where volume and colour create distinct spatial experiences
With minimal client specifications and maximum creative freedom, the planning process for this plastic and aesthetic surgery clinic was set up for success. 12:43 Architects seized the opportunity and crafted an audacious spatial design.
The clinic occupies former office space, which the architects divided decisively into a surgical wing and a practice area. While functionality governs the rear section, the front patient-facing zone was designed for visual impact. Drawing from Le Corbusier's "Polychromie Architecturale," a bold colour palette emerged: luminous yellow-green, vibrant turquoise, and soft salmon tones, each set against warm grey. Imagined volumetric forms – as if carved into the walls – cast their coloured signatures across the surfaces. Together, form and colour establish distinct zones. Around the central block, room entrances transform into representational portals. Protected niches with distinct functions emerge at the core. Where colours meet directly, they amplify one another, causing each hue to radiate. Indirect linear lighting intensifies these moments, drawing out the unique character of each tone. This niche concept carries through the treatment and office spaces via flush-mounted, colour-coordinated fixtures. Translucent and backlit curtain materials along the windows reinforce the spatial depth.
The sanitary facilities take a strikingly different approach, with deep black as the defining colour, punctuated by custom salmon-hued furnishings. Large round mirrors catch backlighting for dramatic effect. Throughout – from monochromatic flooring to recessed doorways with colour-matched switches – details stay restrained, allowing the core concept to command attention. Even traditional skirting boards are abandoned; instead, a transparent protective coating runs along the walls. Only delicate black graphics break the surface, guiding users through the space.
Photography Credits:
Christina Kratzenberg
www.christina-kratzenberg.de
(Published in CUBE Stuttgart 02|22)
