Aesthetics as a contribution to healing

Guido Körkel
Heidelberg, Germany

architekturbüro körkel gbr
Rohrbacher Straße 160
69126 Heidelberg

Bathrooms and wet rooms in hospitals and rehabilitation centres are usually characterised exclusively by their functionality. But especially here, where people have an increased desire for wellness, we would like to provide them with an environment which fulfils this wish. Although you already feel cleaner, fresher and more comfortable after using such a room, yet the combination of ceramics, wood design and bright orange complemented by the lighting creates an additionally warm and friendly ambience. And this invites you to transform the routine washing operations into more of a ritual, which in turn has a positive effect on human beings and promotes their recuperation. However, the functional and economic aspects are also influenced in a positive manner at the same time, so that aesthetics and functionality can influence each other equitably.

Material collage: 1. Wall colour: bright orange • 2. Soft terry cloth • 3. Wall tile: Emotion light beige • 4. Grout colour: orange • 5. Emotion light beige R10/B • 6. Emotion light beige R9 • 7. Tuscan olive

Horizontally laid wall tiles (Emotion light beige) with orange grouting harmonise with the warm tones of the wood design (Tuscan olive) and create a relaxing effect (left). Emotion mosaic (below) adjoins the large format floor tiles (Emotion light beige R10/A) in the area of the barrier-free shower and provides additional safety with its high R10/B slip resistant quality.