The new design for the Bousoño Vargas dental clinic in Oviedo offers a serene and rational alternative to the typical sterility associated with healthcare architecture. Designed by Francesc Rifé, a long natural stone and glass façade complements its sleek and modest interior.
“Despite all its minimalist ingredients, this project is marked by the richness of its composition.”
—Francesc Rifé
With facilities hidden from the outside behind the building’s impressive lintel, the entrance to the clinic is strikingly flawless while maintaining a welcoming aesthetic. Natural light plays an emotional role by bringing an atmosphere of calm and wellbeing to the reception area and waiting room.
The length of one wall consists of multiple panes of nuanced optical glass, flooding the room with the clarity of daylight and helping to create the illusion of abundant space.
Chosen for its hardness and hygienic properties, a warm grey mortar brings visual purity to the interior, which is characterised by a simple combination of geometric planes. The dialogue between dense mortar, delicate translucent glass, and textured oak wood slats translates into each adjoining room, connected by a clean and neutral flooring of seamless grey porcelain.
Instinctively coherent with the clinic’s understated elegance, Rifé opts for two of Vibia’s North Floor Pendants as a source of decorative yet functional illumination. Designed by Arik Levy, this distinctive fixture synthesises the typical floor and pendant lamp, creating an entirely new category of lighting that allows for the precise positioning of light within a space.
Available in a range of models and finishes, the North Floor Pendant is defined by a dynamic, deconstructed silhouette which connects the floor and ceiling in a delicate dance.
A conical aluminium shade containing an LED-powered light source hangs from the tip of a slender carbon fibre rod, suspended from the ceiling at an angle. At the opposite end of the rod, a cable connects to a neat conical counterweight at floor level, balancing the overall design.
The angle of the rod is adjustable, each luminaire reaching out into the room to provide focused, uniform lighting precisely where needed.
Incorporating push-button control and dimming capabilities, the North Floor Pendant guarantees maximum versatility and ease of use, ideal for public and commercial spaces.
Credits:
– Project by: Francesc Rifé
– Photography: Javier Marquez
