“Japanese designers Nendo have completed the interior of a mental health clinic in Akasaka, Tokyo, where none of the doors open and patients and staff instead move around the building by opening sections of the walls.”
Read more at Dezeen Magazine (thanks, SonOfSam)
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Preparing them for release back into society? They’ll get thrown back in faster than they can say open seseme when they try to walk through walls when on the outside.
Part of me wants to say “now that’s just mean” but another part thinks it ingenious. There should be studies done on how patients at this mental health clinic adjust as opposed to those in other clinics.
Well here I go again……. I work in mental health and I don’t think this type of ward would benefit patients at all, especially those who have psychosis! Confusing enough having a psychotic illness never mind walls moving around you everywhere you go……anyhow that’s just my opinion! Xxx
Oh come on. That’s freaky enough for well adjusted people. How are those with mental health issues meant to cope in there. If you were paranoid going in, what would you be like by the time you left?
That’s pretty weird and must be confusing at first when you are onto routine business on the inside. Not sure if I would recommend this too psychiatric patients. Also, it’s probably annoying at times. It will keep you on your toes for a longer period I guess, the same way as when you need to remember which way a door opens to (you approach on high speed .. reach with your hand with the intent to push it open … and then it wont open to that side … (risking a broken pols, but at least annoyance).
Could be cool for a hotel at times (the search for your own hotel door (front desk wont tell you where it is ..).
Might be weird if you have been at that clinic for a long time and then get back to a normal house .. will you still check the wall next to a door?
That would make an AWESOME hotel, but for a mental health clinic… I’m wondering what their reasoning behind this was.
Whoever thought that might be a good idea for a mental health clinic should be in one, not that one though. For any other purpose it’d be quite cool!
o_O
Least appropriate use of “fun”. Ever.
Novel concept. Take people whose grasp on accepted common principles of reality is tenuous and create an environment that is further removed from them.
Long as the way out isn’t cleverly disguised to resemble a leap from a 20th floor window it should be fine
Undecided if this will mess with their mental states or fit in with their minds game. If I were mental and talked about things coming out of walls and were put away then found myself here I wouldn’t have a clue what was happening in reality.
Looks nice but is it reeeeealy helping?
Oh dear, that is so wrong, and yet so right.
If they weren’t mad when they arrived, they’ll be gaga when they leave.
I’m not convinced that doors that are not doors, walls that are doors, Moose head that split in two along with that carpet offer the best environment for those suffering from mental illness…the photo kind of reminds me the hotel in ‘The Shining’, which is worrying.
i think that would make me even crazier…
Is it really wise to constantly show the fallability of the patient’s mental faculties in an institution? I was under the impression that was the opposite aim of a mental health institution.
Also, if mental institutions were as cool as that wouldn’t it make you want to get committed. I don’t know about you but as soon as they come to England I’m going to start spreading my face with faecal matter and run around Oxford Street declaring that I’m the Captain of the hippopotamuses at the top of my voice!
If you read the article properly: this is a clinic for psychiatric consults, not a secure hospital ward for seriously unwell people (in the grip of psychosis or otherwise). I think it’s very cool to look at, and their philosophy about focusing on gaining something more by challenging perceptions, rather than thinking about what has been lost… that’s an attitude missing from so many services here in the UK. And it’s refreshing to see health professionals understand that, even when unwell, patients/clients/service users (pick a label!) still have a sense of humour, still like to question things… in fact, are still actually people just like everyone else. The concept that depressed people can (or should) only tolerate pastel furnishings, paintings of trees & panpipes is ridiculous!
What a stupid idea! Being a person with mental health problems I can think of nothing worse than an environment which is meant to feel safe and relaxing but instead messes with your mind!
Oh yes, what a calming and pleasing idea , a clinic where you wont know what the hell is going on!!!!
I think this is what would happen if Lawrence Lewellyn Bowen arrived with a team of decorators and plasterers and asked the criminally insane inmates what kind of asylum they’d like.
Interestingly Adam Buxton of “Adam and Joe Show” fame already attempted something like that, but on a tighter budget
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwDka-OqwtI
@Debbie. That may be the case but mental health patients are still going to be visitors. Some might even take offence that they are not being taken seriously. I have suffered from hullicinations/perception problems etc. and personally I wouldn’t feel comfortable. Of course if the individual had a choice to go there it may help them open up and explain with ease.
Disorientation in space and time, leading to a lack of physical coordination – yes very efficient way of losing touch with reality and inducing psychosis!
Well, it’s probably not a great idea… But still, it’s very cool! LOL
Hmm, I doubt that’s gonna helpthem :O
BUT, I would like it in my house..
I love it! I think it will work too. Think about it… if you are being treated for madness in a normal looking environment, then when you get back to a normal environment outside nothing will feel like it has changed. You will still perceive yourself as a fruitcake against a normal backdrop. However, if you are treated in an insane environment, then when you are finally released into the outside world you will feel a lot has changed – you will feel much less of a crazyhorse. I think they need some funhouse style mirrors though, and a staircase leading to nowhere just to finish it off.
Is this some kind of joke? I love the Japanese’ sense of creativity but this is ridiculous. This reminds me of the achaic belief that old psychiatrist used to have that you can “drive” the crazy out of people. This is just going to add to their delusions and hallucinations and further perpetuate their irrational thoughts and fears. I really hope this is not true.
Please dont label all mental health patients as being ‘too insane’ to be able to cope with a building such as this. People with mental health problems do have a sense of humour- their illness doesn’t mean that they can’t enjoy this unique building as much as anybody else.
The majority of mental health clinics are impersonal, sterile and oppressive.. whats to say that a clinic, with a bit of ‘personality’ injected, isn’t more effective in the treatment of patients?
Well, it looks way snazzier than the Priory !
What is it with people labelling the mentally ill, “crazy.” They do NOT all suffer from hallucinations and walk around in nightgowns dribbling, whilst pacing up and down the corridors flipping the light switch on and off like some of you are making them out to be. Mental health covers a whole range of illnesses which is just a PART of who they are. They are people too & deserve to be treated as such and not to be referred to in such derogatory terms. Let’s stop being ignorant.
obviously to ensure a “Full House” at all times.
Isn’t this a bit like when they gave acid to mad people to try and make them ‘un-mad’? Might work, its not like this world could get any more weird
Wow – this is just next level. I dont think this is really appropriate at all. Why confuse people like this? Shouldn’t we be trying to help them?