Batek Architekten wraps Berlin orthodontic clinic in pastel yellow resin

A continuous plant-based resin floor in soft pastel yellow runs from the base of the walls across the entire 178-square-metre Hey orthodontic clinic in Berlin, designed by Batek Architekten to read more like a boutique or gallery than a medical practice.

The scheme, described by its designers as "quietly playful", pairs that two-tone palette of pastel yellow and matt silver with bold geometric elements: a folded steel reception counter, a sculptural bench and a criss-cross coat rail.

Treatment rooms feature translucent walls of glass-fibre-reinforced plastic, while lighting tubes trace graphic lines across the ceiling.

Why monochrome instead of playful colour?

"We decided early on to work almost monochromatically," said studio founder Patrick Batek.

"A soft pastel yellow runs from the floor up across the walls, enveloping visitors and creating a warm, comforting atmosphere."

The brief came from client Julie Charlotte Angrick, a doctor who wanted a clinic where young patients would feel comfortable. The name Hey, chosen by Angrick, is intended as an informal welcome.

"Most visitors are children and teenagers, and many of them come regularly over several years," explained Batek.

"We wanted to create a place that takes away the fear of the clinical environment without being childish," he told Dezeen. "Instead of colourful decoration, we chose radical reduction."

The project was overseen by Batek and architect Julia Jensen.

How does the design handle hygiene and workflow?

The visual identity did not come at the expense of functionality. The clinic occupies a former pharmacy in the north of Berlin; the architects completely cleared and reconfigured the floor plan to optimise the flow of patients through different spaces.

Textured tiles line wet rooms and other surfaces likely to be touched often. Cabinets integrated into the walls hide tools and equipment from view.

The yellow-toned resin floor posed the biggest technical challenge of the project.

"A surface like this needs a perfect substrate, because every irregularity underneath would become visible," said Batek.

"Preparing the subfloor required great precision, but it was essential for the continuous yellow to work as one uninterrupted surface."

What punctuates the yellow field?

A small set of elements picked out in red — matching the sign on the reception wall — breaks the monochrome: room numbers, chairs and signs marking toothbrushing areas.

Graphic design studio Bailey und Bailey extended the same thinking into a visual identity that includes a logo incorporating a smiley face emoticon.

"The space is reduced but never cold," added Batek. "Above all, it reflects the personality of the client and her way of working with young patients."

The studio has form in this territory: it previously revamped the T7.2 dental clinic in Berlin, arranged around an acrylic glass cube, and renovated a historic cinema in the same city. Hey confirms Batek Architekten's position as a practice that treats healthcare interiors as a brand and spatial problem at once — one where the floor specification carries as much design weight as the signage.