Minami-Nagano Dental Clinic and Residence

An uncommon project that requires specific working methods when designing, made even harder by Mother Nature's vices, that is how I could classify this dental clinic. Architect Hiroki Tanabe built it in the southern part of Nagano, an area that is often harassed by earthquakes, so providing a structure that is able to resist these disasters was an absolute must. Tanabe used reinforced concrete, painted with a special sort of strainable resin, whose appearance is surprisingly okay. The interior is made with a specific kind of laminated wood.





I like the dental clinic because of its typically Japanese white and pure design, which consists of one curved concrete surface that forms 3 volumes connected by a glass corridor. However, I tend to reject it because of its formality that has gone too far. It's hard to image how a dental clinic could work with only 3 main spaces that all look the same, only varying their width. I agree that it's favorable to have a nice view from the waiting room (right volume), but when I have my teeth looked at, I don't want a glass wall - offering sight to a road where cars and people cross - to be in front of my dentist chair. The activities of waiting, being treated and getting better require a different spatial treatment, which you can't just solve this way. Having 3 almost-the-same spaces is also causing to have a far less exciting design.





I may seem a bit hard ruthless, which is only a half-true impression. The design's overall appearance and many of its details are undoubtedly great, but when designing, the program of a project is in my opinion the most important thing to be taken into account. For now, just enjoy the pictures, which are very appealing to the eye.







Many many more pictures can be found at Hiroki Tanabe's website.

Via Architekturblog.