Wanting to disrupt the staid pharmaceutical model, Waterfrom design has completely remade Molecure pharmacy in Taiwan. As third generation pharmacists, the owner’s of the Molecure pharmacy hoped to subvert the traditional image of a pharmacy and create modern and diverse space. Just as the name Molecure is a portmanteau of molecule and cure, the design for the new fitout took a similar approach blending the age-old purpose of a pharmacy in a modern environment. The space brings together the primitive, the extraction and synthesis of healing drugs together with new technologies as needed in a pharmacy space.

Colourful acrylic panels create a sense of fun.

The designers took this one step further by considering the ways in which molecules are aggregated – from triangular, polygonal and spherical – these geometries were brought into the design. Cobblestones have been cemented to the expansive walls along the left and right-hand sides, giving a rough textural finish. Positioned in front are metal grids with lightweight, semi-transparent acrylic, which adds pops of colour.

Avoiding a traditional counter service usually seen at a pharmacy, the main space appears with a laboratory table. This is the central point for pharmacists to interact with the customers and allows the dispensing area to be kept open. iPads have been placed throughout the space to create an interactive service system. The central laboratory table is made from solid wood, with the trunk of the tree forming the base, while hanging plants bring in a sense of nature reminiscent of a more traditional apothecary.

The central dispensing table is large and open, with an original tree trunk as a base.

The three pillars of the project, and the business objectives were to integrate drug display, innovative dispensing and creating a lifestyle. The design element that connects all three is a curving, spiral staircase, which also gives a nod to the double helix structure of DNA. Bringing in the molecular geometry, triangular holes have been laser cut on the stairs.

The corkscrew stair is a nod to the double helix.

Meeting the clients brief, Molecure pharmacy does away with the stereotype of a pharmacy while paying homage to tradition.

Plants hang in the void space.

Photography by Kuomin Lee.

waterfrom.com

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