People on the streets walk by and are amazed: was that really a pharmacy? An open window in which the entire extent of the shop floor presents itself as if it were in an oversized monitor eye. And everything so clear and minimalist as if valuables were being presented here. Klaus Burger, head of his eponymous interior architecture and design company in Krefeld, succeeds in integrating the traditional pharmaceutical guild into a top-quality wellness and lifestyle culture.
Just like the facades themselves, Burger's pharmacies are open to anyone who wants to get healthy or stay fit and beautiful. A democratic design concept for a specific feeling of space. Burger calls it "quiet and sensual". The quiet is the natural, the unobtrusive, the well organised. The sensual is vital, colourful and light and... simply bursting with the joys of life. This passionate approach is the hallmark of Burger's design credo and is especially surprising in the more traditional setting of a pharmacy.
Colour and light - these are the vivid highlights within the overall impression of a well-ordered expanse. For example in the Central Apotheke in Hamburg, Ansorg Tecno and Cardo spotlights at low levels give structure to the straight lines of the dispensary, which is the proper name for the sales area in a pharmacy. A frieze of lights surrounds the Schwanenapotheke in Solingen at night while tiny Starlite halogen spots of light in the entrance become luminous squares. Colourful areas and light are also a central theme in the Hubertus Apotheke in Limburg. And the exterior lighting ensures that the spotlight is very much on the huge letters spelling out the name on a yellow background in the entrance.
Health is the most precious thing on earth. Klaus Burger's designs show a clear structural respect for the pharmaceutical preparations which effectively preserve this essential luxury we call health. The analogy, in terms of international design language, to classy boutiques is deliberate. Burger combats the frightening odour of sickness and malady of the old pharmacy with transparent, light islands of wellness.
First the customer, then the goods - this is the philosophy that is reflected in the design of the sales area. For example: the long counters, one of the hallmarks of Burger's interior design. A suspended beam of high-grade walnut is the striking feature in the Schwanenapotheke in Solingen. Its pure and solid quality radiates concentration and highly-qualified advice. The glowing glass Starlite cylinders above it not only direct a striking beam of light, but create a pleasant atmosphere at the sales counter with their warm halogen light.
"I give the customer the present of time," emphasises Burger. The dispensary is based on a clear aesthetic form of orientation: little furniture, brightness and transparency. It conveys a desire for health and quickly leads the customer to exactly what he/she is looking for. This is helped by a select range and efficient presentation of goods, as can be seen for example in the Hubertus Apotheke. Delta wallwashers ensure even illumination for over-the-counter sales, while Cardo spots highlight the serve-yourself areas. The freely movable spots by Aura are focussed on the transparent displays.
Burger replaces "power through knowledge", medication previously locked away in drawers and display cabinets, with inviting gestures. Indicative of this are, for example, the Hubertus Apotheke and the St. Georg Haus fur Gesundheit (St. George's House of Health) in Heide where passers-by have a clear view of pharmacists making up their own prescriptions. Transparency is synonymous with trust.
And what about the future of the pharmacy? The St. Georg Haus shows us one possibility. The entire range of an integral concept is spread over an incredible four storeys. The heart of it all on the ground floor is still the dispensary, but the floor above it is devoted entirely to intensive consultation. Just one staircase further on, you have the wellness and beauty area.
In the roof, there is a collection of seminar rooms where health matters and medication can be discussed. But feeling at home is still the most effective way of curing all those indispositions and preserving health and beauty. Burger has never been afraid of using popular materials, such as deep dark woods, aluminium, natural stone and glass. But his compelling clarity and aesthetics in a practical area are a long way from being fashionable. The future involves more than the timelessness of a design. Just as health is more than the absence of illness.
Projects:
St. Georg Haus, Heide
Schwanenapotheke, Solingen
Central Apotheke, Hamburg
Hubertus-Apotheke, Limburg
Interior Design: Klaus Burger, Krefeld
Lighting Design: Ansorg
Lighting Solutions: (all Ansorg) Tecno & Cardo spotlights, Starlite halogen spots, Starlite glass cylinders, Delta wallwashers, Aura movable spots
www.ansorg.com