A clinic Living with the city and Expanding
renovation
medical
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2025
Health Screening Center Designed with Inspiration from Local History and Culture
Osaka Health Checkup Center
This demographic shift has led to the nation's healthcare costs increasing annually, which poses a major social issue that demands a solution.
Because of this, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommends regular health checkups and is working to create an environment where many people can willingly and naturally incorporate these checkups into their daily lives.
The location of the health checkup center we designed is an area that retains much of the charm of the era when Osaka was the economic center of Japan and was known as "Dai Osaka."
This area is home to many beloved buildings known as "retro buildings."
These retro buildings emerged in the 1920s to the 1930s, influenced by Japan's modernization efforts during that time.
Events such as the Great Kanto Earthquake led to a reassessment of the vulnerability to fire of traditional wooden Japanese architecture, prompting a shift towards fireproof construction.
The devastation of the Great Kanto Earthquake, combined with an influx of population from Tokyo to Osaka and the concentration of businesses driving the economy in the city, led to the construction of numerous public facilities such as office buildings, libraries, and city halls.
These structures incorporated cutting-edge Western design elements from Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which were considered advanced even from a global perspective at that time.
Some of these buildings, retaining vestiges of the prosperous period known as the Dai Osaka era, now stand as important symbols of the area's identity for local residents.
A common feature seen in buildings influenced by Art Nouveau and Art Deco is the arch shape, which is expressed through the use of structural elements such as columns and beams.
We wanted to create a space where people can feel a connection to the local identity by incorporating this iconic arch shape, which could be considered a symbol of the area, into the spatial design.
Furthermore, these curves not only conceal the building's structural elements, such as columns and beams, but also connect them, using the structure itself as the foundation of the design. By employing these elements to express the striking arch shapes, we aimed to transform what could be visually obstructive into something positive.
We carefully selected finishing touches for the doors and walls to complement the retro building aesthetic.
Modern lighting design and signage harmonize with these traditional elements, creating a space that evokes a sense of both the old and the new.
We have been considering what kind of design would make this a place where anyone can willingly and naturally receive a health checkup.
We think we have achieved a unique space that combines nostalgia with novelty and could only be created in this location.
Information
Osaka Health Checkup Center
primary use : Health Checkup Center
design : AIDAHO Inc.
PM : SEIWA business
general contractor : SHUKEN
location : Osaka Japan
completed : 2024/2
photo credits : Takumi Ota Photography Co., Ltd.
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