Modernism, Materiality & Memory
Early Design Sketches
Modernism, Materiality & Memory: Designing SOHO Laser Clinic
In the heart of London’s most characterful neighbourhoods, Premier Laser’s SOHO clinic presented a rare design opportunity: to create a contemporary aesthetic space that acknowledges the area’s layered history, its modern clientele, and the brand’s long-term ambitions.
REAFE STUDIO was invited to shape the design direction—an end-to-end concept spanning interior architecture, external treatments, brand integration and environmental storytelling—anchored in the visual and behavioural cues defined within the Premier Brand Style Guide.
A Modernist Influence
The SOHO clinic design draws heavily on the work of Jean Prouvé, the influential 20th-century French modernist known for honest materials, engineered forms and expressive structure. His approach—functional clarity rooted in craft—became the foundation for the clinic’s visual language.
We developed a tight, deliberately disciplined palette of greens:
soft architectural greens for walls and ceilings
stained timber veneers
powder-coated metalwork
charcoal grounding tones
clean white accents
The result is a space that feels calm, architectural and quietly confident, with colour doing the majority of the emotional work.
A Neon Gesture to SOHO’s Past
While the design is grounded in modernism, it also responds to SOHO’s distinct energy. A large-scale, brilliant-white neon feature acts as a subtle tribute to the area’s iconic visual culture—its long relationship with signage, nightlife and expressive identity.
This intervention is not decorative; it is a deliberate memory cue. As outlined within Premier’s Prism behavioural and reputation framework, the environment needed to hold emotional resonance. The neon light became the defining moment: expressive without being loud, refined without losing playfulness.
A Cohesive Brand Experience
The SOHO clinic sits within Premier Laser’s wider national expansion, and therefore needed to align with the brand’s three design pillars—Heritage, Behaviour and Reputation—while remaining site-specific.
As part of our work across the Premier portfolio, REAFE STUDIO developed the brand’s Style Guide, which informed:
tone of voice
environmental behaviours
architectural principles
zoning strategies
material and colour systems
design grades for differing customer profiles
For SOHO, this translated into a Cool & Creative interior—one that feels welcoming, fresh, understated and distinctly urban. Every surface, join and material choice was designed to express the Premier narrative: approachable, confident, expert and quietly glamorous.
Designing Through Touchpoints
The project evolved through a series of architectural interventions including:
façade redesign and colour blocking
laser-cut metal signage
neon feature lighting
stained green timber veneers
metal cladding
softening textiles
bespoke joinery
lighting strategies
customer journey mapping
the removal of the traditional reception desk to create a more human, concierge-style welcome
These decisions transform the clinic from a purely functional environment into an experience-led space shaped around comfort, trust and emotional ease—core brand behaviours defined early in the project.
Extending the Vision: Cannon Street & Kingston
The SOHO site is part of Premier’s multi-location growth plan, and REAFE STUDIO’s foundational design direction now informs the next generation of clinics, including Cannon Street and Kingston. The aim is not uniformity, but coherence—a design system with the flexibility to adapt to audience, postcode and architectural opportunity.
A Space Made to Be Remembered
SOHO Laser Clinic blends modernist clarity with the energy of its neighbourhood and the brand’s long-term ambition. The result is a place that feels confident, effortless and deeply considered—an environment that supports transformation, not just treatment.
It is a clinic that will be remembered—not for theatrics, but for its craft, restraint and ability to make every visitor feel quietly at ease.
Interested in talking about a retail project?
REAFE STUDIO supports brands, developers and retailers in designing environments that balance commercial needs with crafted, architectural experience.
If you’d like to discuss how our approach can support your project, we’d be happy to talk.
