Located within the I-Fitness facility at Ago Palace in Lagos, Nigeria, SYNLAB Ago Palace places diagnostic services alongside an established fitness environment. Designed by AA Design & Development, the project brings testing and preventive healthcare into a setting associated with everyday health and exercise.
Within a compact 80-square-metre footprint, the centre accommodates reception and waiting areas, specimen collection and phlebotomy rooms, alongside support spaces for staff. Spatial planning prioritises circulation, wayfinding, and access to natural light while meeting the operational requirements of a diagnostic facility.
Beyond the clinical interior
Designers John Ogbete and Abu Yusuf Ibrahim developed the interior around the idea of diagnostic care as an extension of self-care. Building on AA Design & Development’s previous work for SYNLAB, the project moves away from the predominantly white, functional aesthetic commonly associated with clinical environments. Warmer finishes, planting, furniture, and controlled lighting introduce a more varied material and visual character while maintaining the requirements of a healthcare setting. SYNLAB’s brand colours are incorporated selectively, including on the feature wall behind reception.
A reception desk with a brushed silver metallic finish marks the entrance. Its simple geometry and rounded edges are complemented by original artworks by Chika Idu and Chief Muraina Oyelami, introducing colour and cultural character into the patient environment.
Designing for patient well-being
The project considers the emotional experience of healthcare alongside functional requirements. Seating, artwork, natural light, and warmer materials are therefore used to create a less clinical waiting environment. Locating the centre within a gym also establishes a direct relationship between diagnostic testing, preventive healthcare, and regular physical activity, making healthcare services accessible within a setting already associated with personal well-being.
Working within a small footprint
The project's sustainability approach lies primarily in the use of an existing interior footprint rather than in documented environmental technologies. Compact planning accommodates clinical, waiting, and staff functions within a relatively small area, while access to daylight supports natural illumination during daytime hours.
