1. The Starting Point: Understanding the Target Client and the Feeling of Being Well Treated
As soon as you arrive at this dermatology clinic by elevator, a space unfolds that feels entirely removed from the outside world. The unexpected sense of welcome offered by the space itself gradually eases the tension you may have carried with you.Today, I would like to walk through how a dermatology clinic can express trust through space, from its layout to its materials and finer details.
In most medical environments, people arrive, check in, and wait. Only then do they begin to notice their surroundings. At Solin Clinic, that sequence was reversed. The focus was on allowing visitors to sense the attitude of the place from the very first impression.
2. Layout Composition and the Reception-Waiting Area
The area visible immediately after exiting the elevator functions almost like a lobby.
On the right, the two visible sides of the column near the consultation rooms were wrapped in full-height mirrors. This visually expands the space while also serving a psychological function: after treatment, patients can check their overall appearance in the mirror while waiting for the elevator, which makes that short wait feel less burdensome.
On the opposite wall, where the display shelving is located, a Barrisol lighting feature was introduced. As mentioned in the Mujigae Tax Accounting Firm project, this material is often used on ceilings, but here it was applied vertically. Because this area is set deep within the floorplate, it can easily feel dim. Barrisol allows the surface itself to emit light, almost like a window, significantly reducing any sense of darkness or enclosure.
In plan, the lounge sits at the center, with functions divided to the left and right.
The left side houses treatment and care rooms, while the right side contains consultation rooms and office-related functions.
But this was not simply a matter of dividing programs. In medical spaces, sightlines themselves can create tension. The mere visibility of a treatment room door can make someone feel anxious, and sitting directly in front of a consultation room can make time feel slower. For that reason, circulation was made legible, while sightlines were gently redirected rather than remaining direct.
The waiting area where I am now functions as an emotional buffer. If a visitor enters and is immediately faced with a front desk and rows of chairs or sofas, the arrangement may be efficient, but it rarely feels comfortable.
Here, curved walls and rounded furniture were used so that the eye can move more naturally through the space. Before confronting others directly, there is room for a brief pause. Waiting time cannot be eliminated, but it can be made less uncomfortable.
At the same time, if the area were too enclosed, it could feel isolating. So openings were placed at seated eye level to maintain visual connection and provide a sense of ease. For a clinic, where dwell time can be relatively long, this felt like an appropriate and thoughtful response.
The reception counter was considered a major mass within the lounge. It was designed in an oval form that follows the curvature of the walls, and finished in a black wood material to anchor the space against the otherwise light-toned walls and floor.
3. The Structure and Flow of the Consultation and Directors’ Rooms
This clinic is run by two directors. Both have bright and energetic personalities, yet their approach to treatment is highly detailed. The consultation manager conducts the initial consultation, after which the directors each handle diagnosis and treatment directly. Because of this, the sequence from waiting to consultation to treatment needed to feel uninterrupted and natural.
As one moves into the consultation rooms, the atmosphere shifts subtly. Instead of the warmth of wood and fabric used in the reception area, a palette of black and stainless steel appears. This is an uncommon contrast in typical clinics, but it was an intentional choice.
Consultation requires more than comfort alone. It also requires trust and concentration. The black-toned cabinetry adds weight to the space, while the stainless steel shelving details reinforce a sense of professionalism. This clearer spatial distinction helps increase focus during consultation.
The consultation rooms were also designed to appropriately block outside noise and sightlines without feeling fully isolated. In a dermatology clinic, one of the most important sensations is that one’s personal concerns are being held securely. For that reason, a sense of trust was given greater priority than softness alone.
This leads naturally to the directors’ room. Unlike internal medicine or ENT practices, where consultations and examinations often happen directly in the doctor’s office, dermatology and dental care typically involve treatment and care rooms as the main setting for medical procedures. Because of that, it was not necessary to create two completely separate offices. Instead, a shared directors’ office was placed at the innermost part of the plan, allowing the space to be used more efficiently.
A private restroom was also included there, allowing the directors to move without unnecessary overlap with patient circulation. It is a small feature, but one that adds significant convenience.
4. The Authenticity Verification Zone: A Distinctive Feature of Solin Clinic
If one space had to be identified as the symbolic heart of this project, it would be the authenticity verification zone.
One of the strongest forms of trust a clinic can offer its patients is the assurance that genuine products are being used. The problem is that this is often communicated only through a POP sign, a brochure, or a short verbal explanation. We wanted to turn that into a space itself.
While designing this area, we were reminded of the laboratory-like environments of Le Labo. The idea was to create a special kind of experience in which the products used on one’s skin can be seen and verified directly.
Patients cannot enter this area, but they can view it from the lounge. The upper portion was finished with laminated glass combined with fabric, softly filtering visibility while allowing light to pass through. The lower portion was made of clear glass so that the samples inside remain visible.
In other words, the structure secures a form of trust that can be seen. The window was framed in wood, and that detail is important. When technical materials are introduced, the atmosphere can easily become too cold. The wooden frame restores warmth and turns this area into a signature scene within the clinic.
5. Powder Room, Preparation, and the Treatment-Care Zone
After consultation comes treatment or care, and before that, there is inevitably a moment in which the patient changes, prepares, and briefly gathers themselves.
For that reason, the locker room and powder room were placed between the information area and the treatment-care rooms, allowing for one more layer of psychological transition before entering the clinical zone.
Rather than enclosing the powder room completely, it was designed with wood-finished louvers that partially filter views. When this kind of detail is handled well, even a clinic of the same size can feel far more spacious and composed.
The treatment and care zone, on the other hand, had to be functionally precise.
If too many decorative elements are introduced, maintenance becomes more difficult and the sense of cleanliness weakens. That is why, unlike the painted surfaces used in the information area, the ceilings and walls here were finished in wallpaper. If the public zone already carries sufficient texture and expression, the private rooms should instead remain quiet.
Lighting also plays a key role. Treatment rooms were designed to be bright and clear in order to support accuracy in diagnosis and procedure. Care rooms, by contrast, were fitted with separate dimming controls so that light levels can be adjusted according to the situation.
A refined texture was expressed through indirect lighting to create a more comfortable environment for care, while wall lights were positioned to function as focused lighting when the face needs to be illuminated more directly.
Conclusion
At this point, I would like to return to the original question: what kind of experience does this dermatology clinic want to leave behind? Solin Clinic can be understood as a place with a clear set of standards.
From the layout to the materials, every decision ultimately points toward a single goal:
a sense of being well treated, an atmosphere that is comfortable without feeling casual,
and trust in authenticity that can be confirmed directly. This clinic is the answer shaped through those intentions, and the first greeting that Solin Clinic offers to its patients.
