Fortius Clinic expands its London presence with new city premises

Since opening in 2011, Fortius Clinic has already established an international reputation, attracting many of the UK’s elite sports professionals to its Marylebone clinic, an Outpatient Diagnostic and Treatment Centre (ODTC) and FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence. The new premises will enable Fortius Clinic to lead the way in specialist orthopaedics for a more city-based audience.

The vision for the facilities on King William Street was to create a new aesthetic in private healthcare; a space for the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, both surgical and nonsurgical. The aim was to create an environment that truly represented and complemented a state-of-the-art facility and includes nine consulting rooms, treatment rooms, an X-ray suite, ultrasound facilities and a 3T MRI scanner.

tp bennett’s architectural concept for the clinic was to move away from a traditional medical blueprint and draw on the more welcoming and accessible design models associated with the hospitality sector.

Patients enter the clinic through a prominent entrance and attractive period façade where they are greeted by the main reception and directed downstairs to the lower ground floor welcome point.

The circulation and waiting areas are located in the centre of the accommodation with a central pod helping to orientate the patient and add geometry to the space. The various departments, such as consulting, treatment rooms, imaging and procedure rooms are located around the perimeter to optimise the use of space and also retain the various relationships and adjacencies between the departments while simplifying patient flows.

The brief was for a light, spacious and welcoming design that created an impression of solidity and wellness for both patients and visitors. With the clinic located on the lower ground floor, the design seeks to utilise the minimal natural light sources available on offer, using bright open spaces, ambient lighting, reflective surfaces and clean, simple lines.

The new generous circulation waiting space on the lower ground level has been designed with a contemporary but clinical feel to create a relaxing experience for the patient.

The spaces are curved and organic, eliminating the constricted feelings associated with narrow corridors and making the space fluid and articulated. Incorporating tp bennett’s cross sector expertise, the design offers a reassuring clinical feel with finishes reminiscent of a boutique hotel.

The reception at street level outwardly communicates the ethos of the clinic; world class, excellence, personalised care, with its clean simple lines and bright white aesthetic designed in a crisp architectural style.

When patients enter the main body of the clinic at lower ground floor, with its soft organic forms, green wall and ambient lighting design, it provides a welcome, relaxing retreat from the noisy and hard urban environment above.

The open circulation and waiting spaces are partitioned by curved walls that create fluidity across the space and remove any resemblance to the harsh lines and corridors often associated with hospitals and healthcare facilities. tp bennett has created an environment that is both stylish and confident while providing the necessary clinical reassurance for both patients and staff.

Jonathan Darke, tp bennett, principal director, said: “The Fortius Clinic is a strong brand with a diverse audience. We wanted to develop an individual style for the King William Street clinic to demonstrate the company’s reach and understanding of its clients. The space has a sense of gravitas and efficiency, but is also far removed from a healthcare environment. Clients need to feel at ease and confident in their surroundings but they also want their journey to be as pleasant an experience as possible within a welcoming and stylish setting.”

tp bennett is an architecture and design practice based in London and Manchester with affiliate offices in more than 20 countries. The practice has three core divisions, architecture, interiors and town planning, supported by specialist areas in strategy, research and graphics.

270 staff work across the practice with projects covering a range of sectors including corporate, datacentres, education, health, hotels, bars and restaurants, offices, public/civic use, residential, retail & leisure, student residential, and transportation.

Founded in 1921 by Sir Thomas Bennett, today tp bennett is led by a young, dynamic, fourth generation of directors who are passionately committed to design and providing a firstrate professional service tailored to each client’s needs.

Find out more in the September 2016 issue of ABC+D Magazine