THE IDEA OF SEEING

The interior of Auga, an optical salon with specialist consulting rooms, was inspired by the process of seeing – a complex and precise biological mechanism. The shape of the space itself echoes the natural form of the eye, and individual elements within the interior reflect its internal anatomy. The colour palette, shapes and materials all draw from the physiology of vision, creating a coherent visual narrative.

LIGHT

The spatial layout mirrors the path that light travels through the eye – from passing through the cornea and lens to being transformed into a nerve impulse that reaches the brain. In a similar way, visitors to Auga become like light themselves: entering from outside, they activate the space and gradually immerse themselves in its successive layers, moving from the entrance area through the optical salon to the specialist consulting rooms. The entire experience forms a unified narrative built around the idea of seeing.

THE LENS

One of the most distinctive features of the interior is a glass form with a ridged, biconvex structure that resembles the lens of the eye. More than just a striking decorative element, it also refracts and distorts the sunlight that streams in through the window – much like the eye's lens bends and focuses light onto the retina to enable sharp vision. Here, light becomes an active element that shapes the space.

THE CENTRE

At the heart of the salon sits a round counter made from burl wood, lit by a bright LED chandelier. This area serves as an architectural metaphor for the macula – the region of the eye responsible for central and colour vision. Just as the cones in the macula allow us to focus on a specific point, the counter acts as the main focal element of the interior. The central lighting above it reinforces this reference, echoing the way cones function only in bright conditions.

THE PERIPHERY

Horizontal shelves running along the walls create an illusion of movement, enhanced by a blue gradient that flows from the entrance deep into the consulting rooms. These elements were designed as a nod to rods – the second type of photoreceptor, responsible for peripheral vision, motion detection and seeing in low light. The deep navy of the walls evokes the Purkinje effect, a phenomenon in which blue is the last colour to remain visible as light fades.

THE IMPULSE

The interior is completed by LED light guides suspended from the ceiling, running through the entire salon and into the consulting rooms. They were designed to evoke nerve impulses – the pathway light takes from the eye to the brain. They also serve as a symbolic guide for visitors, leading them to the place where their own eyesight is carefully examined – just as the brain processes incoming stimuli and makes conscious seeing possible.

Team:

Client: Auga Clinic

Architects: : Znamy się (Wojtek Nowak, Bogna Kawa-Nowak, Monika Jokiel, Ula Dachnij-Seredyńska, Anna Petryszyn)

Photography: Migdal studio Furniture & Materials: The Good Living, Noti, Steelcase, Chors, Kluś