nendo: mental health clinic, tokyo

all images © jimmy cohrssen

japanese firm nendo have sent in images of their latest project, a mental health clinic, located in the akasaka area, tokyo, japan. in addition to standard consultations with a psychiatrist, offers corporate consulting and support for patients returning to the workplace. the clinic aims to provide patients with an extra support to their daily lives that they did not have before starting treatment.

the interior design is an attempt to express this philosophy in space. the doors that line the walls of the clinic do not open, and ‘ordinary’ parts of the walls open up into new spaces. the consultation rooms are entered by sliding the bookshelves sideways. the door at the end of the hallway opens onto a window; the amount of light in the hallway is controlled by opening and closing the door. by providing alternate perspectives for viewing the world, and avoiding being trapped by pre-existing perceptions, the interior allows visitors and staff members to experience opening new doors in their hearts, one after the other.