Monasteries and Donald Judd Sculptures Inspire Swiss Skin-Care Clinic by Ralph Germann Architectes
Zen-like calm without the Zen Lite tropes. “No bamboo, pebbles, or Buddhas,” Ralph Germann says of Entourage Medical Esthetic Solutions, a cosmetic skin-care clinic in Lausanne, Switzerland. The challenge in achieving that ambience, however, was the dark ground-level location of the 3,200-square-foot space.
To compensate for the scarcity of sunshine, Ralph Germann Architectes instituted a materials palette inspired by the minimalism of Cistercian monasteries and Donald Judd sculptures. There’s oiled oak overhead, linoleum for flooring, and corrugated aluminum giving way to dove-gray paint on the walls. Edges are defined by LED-lined coves for a look as radiant as skin after a facial.
Photography: Lionel Henriod.
