‘Reimagining the medical facility as a sanctuary of restoration’: welcome to Zoī Vendôme, Paris

A stone’s throw from the jewellers and watchmakers of Paris’ Place Vendôme is a new space dedicated to the most precious luxury of all: a healthy body and mind. After checking in at the nearby Ritz, guests can now go for a full check-up at Zoī Vendôme, an intriguing space designed by Mexico-based architecture practice Sala Hars.

Perhaps inspired by the regular façades of Jules Hardouin-Mansart’s famous square, the architects Juan Sala and Douglas Harsevoort – who founded Sala Hars in 2017, while studying architecture at Harvard University – have created a space full of soothing symmetry, with careful details designed to uplift the patients.

Inside Zoī Vendôme

Hiding behind a discreet black door in a Haussmannian building is an entrance hall featuring angled wood panels that line a central white walkway, lit from above with diffuse lighting. It is the start of a seamless journey that ‘reimagines the medical facility not as a site of anxiety, but as a sanctuary of restoration’, with no sterile waiting room or intimidating reception desk in sight.

The concept is based on a new design language coined ‘neon-Baroque’ by the architects, who aimed for a contemporary space steeped in theatricality and emotion. ‘We thought a fresh take on Baroque form, applied to a medical setting, would elevate the medical facility to the realm of contemporary culture, and elevate the experience of the patient,’ explain Sala and Harsevoort.

‘The Baroque engages the viewer in a dramatic and immersive experience, elevating and exalting the human body,’ write the architects. To adapt this for the 21st century, they focused on the sense of awe, using light and shadow rather than frescoes and gilded reliefs to create impact. Light is progressively reduced in intensity throughout the centre, with a series of curved rooms featuring colourful transition spaces, which are ‘like peeling back the skin of a fruit to reveal the flesh’.

The 20,000 sq ft space features a carefully choreographed progression of sculptural staircases and hallways leading to 18 private examination suites, designed as intimate rotundas, with medical equipment concealed and revealed only when needed, and a series of Japanese-style onsens carved from dark volcanic stone – ‘womb-like spaces intended for reflection, renewal, and deep rest’.

‘Whether they have experienced the Zoī check-up or simply visited the centre, everyone describes a space that is both sublime and deeply functional,’ says Zoī co-founder Paul Dupuy. ‘Nothing is left to chance, and every detail carries an actual meaning. This is architecture that goes beyond the visual to deliver a true experience.’

‘Creating a new health experience from a blank slate makes the choice of architect absolutely critical. In partnering with Sala Hars, some might have thought we were taking a bold risk; a young firm, with no prior experience in the healthcare sector,’ says Dupuy. ‘And yet, the result has exceeded all of our expectations – which were frankly extremely high.’

Named after the Ancient Greek word for ‘life’, Zoī plans to open its next location in London, a new space also designed by Sala Hars.