TUNE Clinical Aesthetics

Yash R Jain

• Architects

Can design be therapeutic? Could there be spaces outside of our dwellings that feel like homecoming, too. Restorative, meditative and tranquil — these words only begin to define a new cosmetology clinic located in one the most upscale neighbourhoods in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Called Tune Clinical Aesthetics, the 4,500 sq ft address is designed such that it feels visually rejuvenating even before the visitors indulge in the clinic’s services and beauty treatments. Sprawling yet intimate, the interiors envisioned by Chandhana Ramesh, Principal & Founder Architect of Empatio Architecture transcends the ordinary experience of cosmetic clinics. Instead, it focuses on crafting interiors that serenades the sight, layered with an immersive sense of beauty and being. “Every aspect of this clinic’s design has been thoughtfully curated to evoke peace, luxury and timelessness, ensuring a truly transformative experience,” says Ramesh.

AROUND THE CLINIC
The reception lounge trickles effortlessly into an adaptable VIP lounge, where intimate seating transforms for larger gatherings with folding mirrored panels. Emerging as an idyllic statement a few steps from the entrance is the earthy limestone wall from Rawsteen that immediately draws attention to a cosy setting dotted by jute rugs by Jaipur Rugs and Harshita Jhamtani’s Indian green marble table soaked in the soft filters of daylight. Grounding the concept of beauty here is a delicately rested reception nook carved in brown vein marble and the name plaque touched with Indian green marble. Engulfing multiple therapy and consultation rooms, a gallery-like walkway guides guests further in, curated as a tactile discovery with framed displays, sculptural marble pedestals and wooden niches. A refined furniture choice was critical to anchor the look and feel of the therapy rooms dressed in cream and beige tones, elevated with polished stainless steel-clad counters, brass fixtures, marble dado walls. The consultation rooms, too, come alive with custom-designed artworks, alongside rich woods and bold black accents that add a fixating visual hook to it. Dotting the gallery across all therapy and consultation rooms are smartly affixed fluted glass doors that allow privacy without blocking the flow of light.
Beauty exists inside the bathrooms as well, treated with immersive vintage wallpapers alongside materials that spell finesse like Red Rosso Levanto marble, beige rustic tiles and Indian green marble with brass touches.

YES, COLOUR THERAPY IS A THING!
A rhythmic medley of whites, creams and beiges, the space is deluged in the impressions of neutral colours to echo the placid, understated concept of the clinic itself. A palette especially typified in all the spaces; the hues wrap the guests in a sense of balance. It also becomes a mindful backdrop that allows the smaller and larger details of the interiors to shine through; think elegant arches, intricate mouldings, decorative cornices, ornate architectural touches and the play between textures and materials. “This adds grandeur without overpowering the sense of calm,” adds Ramesh.
While neutral tones continue to murmur hymns of sensorial healing, the architect brings in subtle pops of colour through artworks, decor accessories and furniture, which embeds a slow-paced, animated identity to the space.

ROOTED IN FUNCTION AND COMFORT
While the design language essentially remains rooted yet contemporary, the clinic’s canvas is softly instilled with a lingering air of French-modern style. Chic but comfortable at every glance, the clinic recites the fusion of functionality and uncluttered, modern elements. With carefully curated furniture pieces, every corner of Tune Clinical Aesthetics prioritises the dialogue between shapes, scales, materials and colours. From classic Pierre Jeanerette’s kangaroo chairs and donut chairs to polar bear sofa and other curious pieces, these serve as inviting focal points in the lounge areas, where visitors can unwind like they’d lounge in their own living rooms without inhibitions.

ON A MATERIAL JOURNEY
Continuing the narrative of beauty meeting quietude and precision, the choicest materials inside the clinic blend opulence with an ageless charm. From rich wood finishes and natural limestone to lime plaster walls that contrast with wooden parquet flooring running through every corner, the material mood board draws imprints of organic warmth. Switch to the reception area, one of the external facade walls is draped with glass blocks, doubling up as a striking section for product displays.
But where there’s triumph, there are challenges, too. Ramesh informs that the site was originally a long plan framed by pronounced deep beams, presenting a unique challenge. Instead of entirely sacrificing the space’s height, she devised the use of vaulted ceilings, preserving a desired Parisian design aesthetic and imbuing the clinic with an old-world gravitas that feels equally new-age.
As Ramesh says, the aim indeed was to conjure a long-lasting design plan and bid departure to transient trends, setting new standards for beauty, rejuvenation and the idea of experiencing design!