KINZEL ARCHITECTURE – ORGANIC AND HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL CLINIC DESIGN
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Issue 139
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March 2026
The result was a functional, organic clinic building with two state-of-the-art operating rooms with natural lighting and inpatient care – built within Frank Gehry's listed Neuer Zollhof complex, whose sculptural aesthetics have shaped the appearance of Düsseldorf's Media Harbor since 1999. “The Gehry buildings have become an unmistakable architectural landmark of the city,” explains Kinzel. The organic design language of the architecture became the guiding principle for the new spatial organisation by Kinzel Architecture. The open reception area, with its elegant welcome desk, greets patients with spacious generosity and a design that elegantly emphasises the curved architecture of the building. The adjoining waiting area was also designed
In the course of renovating the Plastmed Private Clinic, Kinzel Architecture developed a unique design concept that respects the striking exterior of the Gehry buildings, while creating tailor-made interiors for everyday clinical use. www.kinzel-architecture.de
PHOTOS: KINZEL ARCHITECTURE
In the course of her research, Kinzel came across Dr. Andreas Ahrens-Landwehr, who had studied at the Düsseldorf Art Academy before embarking on his medical career. During an initial conversation, Dr. AhrensLandwehr mentioned that the practice was currently undergoing renovation; the team was aiming to significantly expand the practice premises: “The existing practice was to be transformed into a clinic with
concentrated expertise – a place with high standards of medical excellence and personal care.” Kinzel Architecture was immediately interested and got the job.
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The clinic is located in one of Düsseldorf's iconic Gehry buildings and was redesigned in accordance with historic preservation guidelines. “The job came about rather by chance – or, as they say, through being in the right place at the right time,” recalls Valentina Kinzel. Out of personal interest, the interior designer had researched doctors with an artistic background – based on her conviction that, similar to architects, plastic surgeons need a keen understanding of proportion, form, precision and aesthetics.
to be open and bright, offering patients plenty of space and privacy. While the patient rooms with a view of the harbour exude a comfortable hotel feeling, the treatment rooms are each characterised by an individual daylight concept. “Light and space become part of the healing experience,” adds Kinzel.
TEXT: CORNELIA BRELOWSKI
For a medical practice project in Düsseldorf's Media Harbor, clinical precision and organic aesthetics were elegantly combined with a high standard of comfort.