By Healthcare Facilities Today

Thanks to the ethereal, spa-like interior design, the angst that typically accompanies a visit to the dentist melts away when patients come to the dental clinic in the Portuguese town of Torres Vedras, according to an article on the Contract magazine website.

Designed by Miguel Marques Venâncio, principal and founder of Lisbon-based MMVArquitecto, the freshly renovated interiors offer an experiential paradigm for both patients and dentists with a series of ultra-pure, minimalist spaces that invite contemplation and evoke serenity, the article said.

“The client wanted to recreate the space and provoke a new atmosphere and sensation with a new image,” Venâncio said in the article. “So I aimed to create an environment that would be very different from the experience of going to the dentist that I’ve had since I was young. The idea was to create a timeless space, a space that would be contemplative and supports the importance of silence.” 

The architect called for gutting the formerly drab space, located on the ground floor of a commercial building constructed in the 1970s. After presenting the client with various models accounting for all of the programmatic requirements, the architect undertook the renovation in phases over a 14-month period, the article said.

Read the article and view the images.