Redefining Healthcare: Contemporary Clinic Designs

Clinic design with natural materials

Daras Dental (2024) in Piraeus, by Studio Thanasis

Studio Thanasis designed the new Piraeus location of Daras Dental with the aim of challenging the conventions of a typical clinic, reimagining it as a place of healing rather than discomfort. 

Bright luminescent surfaces, warm wood tones, translucent materials, and domestic references combine to reduce patient anxiety and create a more welcoming environment.

The clinic is housed in a 110 sqm apartment within a 1960s residential building near the harbor. The space was transformed into a polyclinic for three dentists and their staff. The original living–dining area was removed and replaced by a central wood and translucent channel-glass module that accommodates the reception, office, CT scan room, waiting area, and the main clinic. Two additional treatment rooms, bathrooms, and staff spaces were organized within the apartment’s existing partitions.

The identity of the polyclinic emerges from the interplay between wood and glass, merging the typologies of clinic and home.

Rather than concealing the apartment’s original character, the design embraces its domestic origins to foster comfort and familiarity, while contemporary details reference the modernist spirit of the building’s era.

The surrounding context of Piraeus also informs the design. Glowing glass partitions evoke the depths of the sea, circular windows and refined joinery recall shipbuilding craftsmanship, and a mint-green floor bridges clinical and nautical references. 

Daras Dental has been honored with an Honorable Mention in the Health & WellBeing category of the Interior Spaces and Lighting section at the GRAIL Awards 2026. 

Facts & Credits
Design Team Thanasis Ikonomou, Melissa Nikolaidou
Supervision Studio Thanasis
Lighting LUNN Lighting
Woodworking Dimitris Manousakis
Glass Mitrogianni
Furnishings Totimo

Kenna Dental Clinic (2024) in Madrid, by JJ+ estudio

The design proposal for the first Kenna dental clinic in Madrid is developed around the concept of an “interior street.” The project addresses the challenge of shaping the identity of a dental clinic by introducing an interior façade that contrasts with the traditional character of the Ciudad Lineal neighbourhood, establishing a new spatial relationship between the clinic and its urban surroundings. 

Inspired by Josef Albers’ mid‑20th‑century abstract painting Luminous Day using interlocking shapes and vibrant hues to explore how color and form interact,  the design explores a dialogue between interior and exterior. Rather than replicating the surrounding context, the façade allows controlled glimpses of the clinic’s internal activity, creating a layered spatial experience. Stainless steel was selected as the primary material, emphasizing contrast while introducing reflective surfaces that interact with sunlight, vegetation, and the surrounding environment.

Through this intervention, the façade reorganizes the spatial distribution of the clinic and introduces a reinterpretation of “inside” and “outside.” The resulting pathway unfolds as a small interior street that structures the clinic’s circulation while allowing parts of its activity to be perceived from the exterior.

The façade is articulated through a modulation of opaque, translucent, and transparent elements responding to the privacy requirements of each area. Transparent glazing reveals the waiting room, while a wooden door leads to the treatment rooms. At the end of the interior street, a color accent marks the entrance to the X-ray room and restroom, while a discreet door provides access to the private staff area.

Through the concept of the interior street and the reflective stainless-steel façade, the project reinterprets the spatial organisation of a clinic. The design establishes a gradual transition between the city and the clinic’s internal life, creating a space that balances visibility, privacy, and the everyday rhythms of a healthcare environment.

Tzouma Dermatology Clinic (2022) in Athens, by Arid

The design of Tzouma Dermatology Clinic in Athens, by Arid, is developed around a conceptual framework that brings together medical functionality, rejuvenation, and personalized care. With a capacity to accommodate up to 250 visitors per day and 15 treatment rooms, the 400sqm clinic places particular emphasis on operational efficiency while maintaining a high-quality user experience.

A key design strategy was the replacement of the typical large waiting room with a series of smaller, more intimate waiting booths, conceived as “cocoons.” 

These spaces reference the ideas of rebirth and renewal—concepts closely associated with dermatology. Each cocoon functions as a multifunctional environment, operating as a waiting area, consultation space, and private zone for post-treatment recovery. Wrapped in acoustic fabrics and soft materials, they provide a sense of privacy and comfort while shielding visitors from the activity of a busy clinic.

The patient’s journey through the space was carefully studied to enhance privacy and support personalized care.

An open spatial flow, defined by multiple directional pathways and soft curves, allows smooth circulation while maintaining subtle separations between different functional zones, supporting both patient comfort and staff efficiency.

Material choices balance clinical precision with a sense of wellness. Stainless steel and Corian convey a clean medical character, while travertine marble, terracotta soft flooring, and curved volumes introduce warmth. Lighting also plays a therapeutic role, with adjustable color temperatures and intensities tailored to each space.

The project proposes a healthcare environment where clinical performance and spatial comfort coexist, supporting both the operational needs of the clinic and the well-being of its users.

Tzouma Dermatology Clinic has been honored with an Award in the Health & WellBeing category of the Interior Spaces and Lighting section at the GRAIL Awards 2026. 

Bold clinic chromatic design

Dental clinic in Chania (2025) by Iosif Vasilodimitrakis

Iosif Vasilodimitrakis (IOSV) designs a dental clinic in Chania, Crete with blue and white. The colours’ contrast creates a minimal yet surprising interior atmosphere. The space uses a restrained palette of white surfaces and stainless steel details. Natural light washes the white walls and floor, while a bold blue ceiling draws the patient’s gaze and softens the clinical experience. Linear steel elements form dividers, shelving, and storage. This palette turns routine visits into calm moments for patients.

Read more about the project, here! 

TruSmile Dental Clinic (2025) in Athens, by Amalgama-Architects

The design of TruSmile Dental Clinic is developed around a balance between functional efficiency and a refined aesthetic language articulated through color and transparency. 

Seeking to move away from the sterile atmosphere commonly associated with medical environments, the 85 sqm clinic introduces a deep forest-green palette that provides a calm and grounding backdrop. 

This chromatic choice contrasts with the crisp white architectural elements, establishing a clear visual hierarchy while softening the clinical character of the space.

A sense of spatial openness is achieved through the use of frosted glass partitions, which allow natural light to penetrate the deep floor plan while preserving the necessary levels of acoustic and visual privacy for patients. The resulting environment maintains a sense of permeability while ensuring the discretion required in a healthcare setting.

Minimalist lines and carefully curated lighting elements contribute to the clarity of the spatial composition, while a considered selection of textures enriches the overall atmosphere. From the monolithic reception desk to the terrazzo-inspired finishes of the wet areas, material choices reinforce the project’s contemporary character. 

Together, these elements form a cohesive interior environment that prioritizes user experience while maintaining the precision and functionality essential to a clinical space.

Tsironi Orthodontics in Ilioupoli, Athens by South Constructions + Design

In the heart of Ilioupoli, an old 70 m² paint shop was transformed by the South+ architectural team into a modern orthodontic clinic focused on young visitors. Designed to move beyond the cold, clinical atmosphere typical of medical spaces, this pediatric clinic was reimagined as a warm, playful, and reassuring environment for children. Soft curves, pastel tones, and bond colours create a welcoming setting, while preserved mosaic flooring and diffused natural light add character, transforming the clinic into a space that feels closer to a playful, comforting room than a traditional practice.

Read more about the project, here! 

Plastic Surgeon’s Clinic (2023) in Athens, by UBUplan architects

The project is located on the fourth floor of a listed early 20th-century building on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue in central Athens, designed by architect Andreas Kriezis. The apartment retains a strong urban character defined by its imposing architectural features, including large openings, increased door and ceiling heights, and refined plaster decorations. These elements informed the spatial strategy for the new plastic surgery clinic.

The original floor plan was preserved, with the clinic’s functions distributed within the existing rooms according to operational needs. The main areas—such as the waiting space, examination rooms, and the doctor’s office—are positioned in the rooms that benefit from maximum natural light and ventilation. The entrance and reception area are located at the center of the apartment, while auxiliary spaces and restrooms are arranged between the examination rooms and the doctor’s office.

A careful documentation of the existing spatial conditions informed the introduction of new architectural elements that reference the typologies and geometries of the original shell, establishing a non-figurative dialogue with the building’s past. Custom constructions with folded geometries and polished metal surfaces emphasize the depth and impressive height of the interiors while serving practical purposes such as the reception desk and auxiliary surfaces. Lighting fixtures interact with these installations, amplifying reflections across the pleated metallic surfaces, while a custom sofa organizes the waiting area and allows circular movement within the space.

The intervention establishes a dialogue between the historic shell and the contemporary requirements of a plastic surgery clinic.

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