WHITE SPACE

Year: 2012
Category: Cultural · Health Care & Aging Facilities
Type: Government + Health
Status: Built
Firm: bureauhub - Hegemann Baccarini
Location: Catania, Italy

WHITE SPACE is an avant-garde private orthodontic clinic for an opinion leader and luminary who is applying and researching most advanced techniques and materials in his discipline. bureauhub envisioned an implant concept based on orthodontic typical use of high precision medical devices as design principle throughout the space. Interior wall surfaces and furniture merge seamlessly into a continuous white shell of DuPont™ Corian® where cutting edge medical technology are implanted. The plug-in components are ranging from ergonomic deformations like coat hangers or toothbrush holder folded out of the Corian® cladding up to technical implants like a touchscreen and remote button for x-ray control or TV screens for medical information.

Since 80% of the clinic patients are represented by children, bureauhub architecture aims to tickle senses and curiosity reversing the typical expectations of use as waiting area into a self-exploration environment. Core of the patient lounges is a multifunctional furniture designed ad-hoc to entertain with pedagogical value: on one side three intersecting void spheres form a grotto-like space to be explored by children, while on the other side a surface equipped with niches for pencils and comic strips is dedicated to study and sketching.

A playful signage graphic with custom designed icons CNC milled into the white Corian® skin is positioned intentionally at children’s eye level. It refers to the softly glowing backlit graphic panel indicating the spatial organization of the clinic. Here backlighting is created by pioneer use of OLED lighting modules, next generation sustainable light source produced with organic electroluminescent material that will help reduce CO2 emissions. Main focus of the futuristic environment is based upon all handcrafted built-in components meticulously designed up to the smallest details and recalling the precision and craftsmanship of orthodontics.

Every single detail experiences a subtle spatial presence, accentuating the abstraction and scalelessness of the ephemeral, monochromatic environment in a playful and poetical way.