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Meike Raasch Linden-Apotheke
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Linden-ApothekeLudwigsburg, 2006

A Remedy for Infectious Interchangability. Identity in the Generic Medicine Field.

Linden-Apotheke

The Linden Apotheke is an old-established pharmacy in Ludwigsburg. It has chosen to specialize in naturopathic products and natural cosmetics in response to the growing pressure of competition in the pharmacy market. The remodeling of the pharmacy’s interior serves to underscore and substantiate this positioning. The pharmacy’s main focus should be communicated and made tangible within the space in a striking and compelling way – without creating a superficial, promotional style. At the same time, the task was to create additional possibilities of presenting shop merchandise in the shelving space behind the counter and the self-service area. Ippolito fleitz group was commissioned to undertake the interior remodeling of the space, revise the corporate design and develop a special giveaway for the grand reopening.

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A rigorous reorganization of the space resulted in a compact, high-ceilinged room, which is immediately ascertainable from both entrances. Continuous shelving units and the room’s rounded corners support this impression. They establish a clear backdrop for the merchandise on display, which is well lit, both from behind and from the front. A spatial focal point is created by the new sales counter, attached to a central supporting column and projecting freely out to both sides. The unity of the room is further accentuated by a rounded transition from wall to ceiling, as well as by the continuity created by the white colouring. The granite cobblestone floor reflects the typical Baroque style, so evident in the town of Ludwigsburg, and creates a tantalising contrast to the otherwise demonstratively modern interior design.

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Three rotatable merchandise stands in the centre of the room offer an additional area for presenting and highlighting seasonal products. With its clear, sweeping contours and monochrome colour palette, the room and furniture design direct the customer’s eye towards an expansive ceiling motif.

The motif is a fresco depicting eleven medicinal herbs, which was designed in cooperation with textile designer, Monika Trenkler. It is a modern interpretation of a traditional subject, executed in classic colours. The ceiling design acts as the new emblem of the pharmacy – both in a spatial and communicative sense. The interior design picks up on motifs from our collective memory: without indulging in wistful nostalgia, the vaulted ceiling, the fresco element and the granite cobblestones all hark back to an era when pharmacies had not yet become a part of a health industry. On the contrary, the design picks up on such traditions and translates them into a contemporary feel. The resonance of these images, however, is used to communicate unambiguous values such as personal welfare, sensitivity, dependability and of course the core focus of the pharmacy: the field of naturopathy.
 

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The modernity and clarity of the design on the other hand establish a connection to professionalism, precision and competence. The idea was to create an engaging, optimistic ambience in which all the worries of ill health can melt away for a moment. At the same time, the pleasure involved in cosseting body and soul with natural cosmetics or natural remedies such as herbal teas also finds expression. The ceiling motif also serves as a strong key visual, which underscores the pharmacy’s positioning in order that its product range may be spread through word of mouth.

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A small giveaway has been developed for the reopening to turn the idea of the pharmacy into something that you can take home with you. The ceiling motif was a starting point for this concept. Medicinal herbs are required when you fall ill and they are often associated with particular situations and stories. The eleven medicinal herbs in the ceiling motif were thus taken and distilled to become the storybook: “Tanztee und die Theodors und andere Geschichten über Naturheilkunde” (Tea dance and the Theodors and other naturopathic stories). Each of the eleven stories is as individual as the consultation that all Linden Apotheke customers receive. The small-format booklet is full of specially-written stories that adapt and translate the action and use of healing herbs for the customer – each one exciting, extraordinary or simply sweet. The little booklet becomes a memento of your visit to the pharmacy and at the same time has an added value compared to usual pharmacy giveaways: it’s more likely to end up on your bed-side table than in the rubbish bin. The open, velvety paper is reminiscent of classic pocketbooks. The page lining plays with the design of traditional pocketbooks and school notebooks. The typography incorporates the pharmacy’s own Interstate font and lets it take effect in contrast to classic serif fonts such as the Clarendon and the Slimbach

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Plans

Meike Raasch Linden-Apotheke  Plans

Facts & Figures

Client
Meike Raasch
Location
Körnerstr. 19/1
Status
Completed (2006)
Photo­graphy
Zooey Braun
Team
  • Gunter Fleitz
  • Gunter Fleitz
  • Fabian Greiner
  • Peter Ippolito
  • Peter Ippolito
  • Sascha Kipferling
  • Tim Lessmann
Partner
  • Monica Trenkler, Artwork
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