Rathmines Pharmacy - Open Office Architects - 3 Great Strand Street, Dublin 1 - We are a young innovative design firm involved in residential and commercial projects ranging in size from extensions and one off houses to masterplanning



								PROJECT: RATHMINES PHARMACY





	Before: Our clients acquired this property (formerly portobello books) in poor condition. You can see from the before photo, the dark, dank interior with its low ceilings, musty carpet and tatty shelves.

	Re-cycling shop-fittings: A new chain of chemists had recently closed down when Brian and Gordon in a stroke of entrepreneurial genius purchased the entire interior including expensive fittings from the liquidators for a very competitive price.

	Re-cycling shop-fittings: This project was like a big jigsaw puzzle in three dimensions as our brief involved surveying and measuring these fittings before they were dis-assembled and stored. With this information we devised a number of possible layouts to suit the new premises.

	Here is the finished design chosen from the list of possible layouts. Our clients wanted the pharmacy to be bright open and welcoming, but also to incorporate an area for discreet consultation and advice with customers.

	They gave us keywords and design references such as the neat styling of Audi or VW and the classic lines of Art Deco interiors.

	They wanted the shop to be highly visible and recognisable along the main street without being loud or intrusive. We aimed to create classical lines that would reflect and restore the hey-day of Rathmines as a bustling town centre.

	We also suggested ideas for their business logo and exterior image that were ultimately adopted.

	We settled on a new arrangement of shelves and units and decided to add more storage above as there is no separate store room available. To brighten the shelving units we installed mirrored glass at the back of the shelves and this simple act increased the sense of space.

	Both clients and ourselves are pleased with the results and their business has thrived since opening, which is a good gauge of success for the design. We wish them continued success........