Molecure Pharmacy in Taichung, Taiwan by Waterfrom Design.

Waterfrom Design have completed a pharmacy in Taichung, Taiwan for a third-generation pharmacist in his 80s. The client hoped to overthrow the traditional image of pharmacies in order to capture a new and exciting atmosphere. Just like MOLECURE is split and reorganised from words “Molecule” and”Cure”, Waterfrom Design’s approach returns to the original purpose of a pharmacy – extracting molecules from nature in order to synthesise them into drugs that heal. Within the interior, the designers combine the seemingly conflicting qualities of ‘primitive’ with ‘technology’, symbolic of new compound drugs formed by molecular synthesis.

Changing Molecular shapes, such as the triangle to polygon, sphere to cone, have been adopted within the space. “We extracted the two characteristics of a molecule– ‘connectivity’ and ‘aggregation’ into our design”, said Waterfrom. The towering cobblestone walls provide a sense of realism with its earthy, rough texture. The metal stair and transparent acrylics display shelves act as an antidote, with display racks almost disappearing from the space, brought to life with colourful drugs that act as paintings that colour the walls.

One-way mode of traditional pharmacy counter service is avoided here – the core of the space is a lab table where the pharmacists interacts with the customers. Together with the open dispensing area, and iPad-enabled consulting service system, and an interactive information function, a new customer experience is created.

The lab table is made from stacked sections of solid wood with an original cortex of a hundred-year-old trunk used as the base. Together with the hanging green plants, the table is a centrepiece reminiscent of a forest, commenting on the total lifestyle approach of Molecure, which sits worlds apart from a dumb atmosphere of a traditional pharmacy.

[Images courtesy of Waterfrom Design. Photography by Kuomin Lee.]