LuxLinea is an ophthalmology clinic in Shibuya, Tokyo. The new addition to Total Eye Care clinics in the heart of the Japanese capital takes place on the ground floor of a mixed-use building. Clear glass on two sides visually connects the space to its surrounding urban environment.
LuxLinea design addresses two main issues: glass reflections, and patients’ privacy. The clinic operates mostly during daytime, when the bright daylight reflects on the glass, obstructing visibility to the inside. To counter this effect, a series of intriguing vertical lines of light are emitted from the inside attracting the curiosity of the passerby.
The floor plan is shaped as a right trapezoid, with the entrance and reception counter placed on its smaller corner and taking advantage of the two glazed sides. The waiting chairs are arranged along the glass façade separated by a series of transparent acrylic panels. These panels are illuminated in vertical lines pattern providing privacy to the patients who seek not only visual comfort but also protection from possible airborne virus contamination. The more light-sensitive examination and treatment rooms are set in the inner area of the clinic and are accessed through gates set between the light panels. The repetition of the panels and by extension the light lines are duplicated vertically using mirrored ceiling surface. All the walls around the waiting area are finished in mirrors reflecting the urban environment during daytime and assimilating it inside the clinic. The interior becomes a fantasy experiential space made of floating light elements. At night, the outside becomes darker than the inside turning the glass into a highly reflective surface. The space becomes wrapped in mirrors in every direction where light elements overlap in a kaleidoscopic effect.
