Looking Like an Art Gallery, This Avant-garde, Sculptural Space Created by Interdisciplinary Design Studio Wangan Elevates Care to the Next Level
Intertwining architecture and art in a radical space that provides an immersive and sensorial experience is the vision behind Smiles. When stepping into the 11,840 square foot space, no one could imagine what it was really about.
Divided into two distinct yet interconnected areas, there is a dental clinic that follows a free-plan principle on one hand and a campus designed to support the well-being and workflow of the medical team on the other.
“We wanted to create an atmosphere that transcends the transactional nature of healthcare — a space that doesn’t just serve, but hosts,” say the members of Wangan, an Istanbul-based studio cofounded by Mert Can Uzyildirim, Kutay Yorulmaz and Kerem Özerler.
“The goal was to design an environment that resembles a private art club — where treatments are just one part of a broader experience centered around calm, connection, and aesthetic presence.”
Located in Ankara, Turkey, Smiles was created as a contemporary art gallery where dental treatments happen. Striking pieces by Seçkin Pirim, Mehmet & Kazim, Ömer Faruk Yaman, and Tom Fellows — among others — adorn the walls and various areas.
Throughout the project, the Wangan team constantly worked on balancing two ambitions: meeting the precise functional demands of a medical facility and crafting an environment that feels emotionally warm, visually unexpected, and experientially rich.
“That meant questioning every convention: from the use of color and material to the choreography of movement and the psychology of space,” they say.
A neutral palette of volcanic grays and taupes, with a mix of brushed steel, veined marble and frosted glass, creates a serene backdrop complemented by colorful furniture, artworks, and textiles to bring vibrancy and visual surprise.
High-end design pieces by renowned creative minds and brands — including Eileen Gray, Ingo Maurer, Moroso, Knoll, and B&B Italia, to name only a few — made the space highly stylish.
“From the outset, the ambition was to reimagine the patient experience entirely — through space, atmosphere, and material,” says the Wangan team, who drew inspiration from places like retail interiors, hospitality venues, and contemporary art galleries to imagine this one-of-a-kind concept.
Thanks to this approach, the waiting lounge resembles a salon, while the different rooms encased in translucent partitions give the feeling of being in an atelier. Merging post-industrial aesthetics and neo-modernist sensibilities, Smiles is a play of contrasts and tension that engages the senses.
“The layout embraces brutalist clarity and structural honesty — but this is tempered by a sculptural language that evokes stillness rather than severity,” the Wangan team explains.
Blurring the lines between wellness, art, hospitality and healthcare, this project offers a vision of the future.
Wangan | wangan.studio
Photography: Ibrahim Özbunar / 645 Studio
