josé lévy vivifies MaPharmacie drugstore in paris

all photography © mathieu salvaing

 

 

 

collaborating with michael zazoun, josé lévy revisits how conventional pharmaceutical retailers are established, with his design ‘MaPharmacie’, in paris. zazoun, a pharmacist by day/advice radio columnist by night, has teamed with designer josé lévy to reinterpret the drugstore. ‘MaPharmacie’ (my pharmacy) differs from the sterility associated with the medical industry and promotes an engaging apothecary. reflective surfaces and bright lights illuminate the space to create a more lively, almost arcade-like, setting. the stockroom at the rear of the shop, is separated by a plant wall to symbolize the role of a shaman in the rainforest. various colorful tiling on the floor, is anything but your standard white, and features green marble from guatemala. a grid of neon lighting is suspended from the ceiling in a more contemporary form and glimmers in every direction from the shelves which are covered in mirrors. after the first success in bastille (2010), lévy hopes to create a new model for pharmacies that have more personality, for a global market.

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exterior of the retail shop entices shoppers with a lively interior

 

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rather than hiding the medicinal goods, they are celebrated as decorative elements

 

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an array of colorful tiles make ‘MaPharmacie’ shine

 

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detail of the floor tiles reflected by the counters

 

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detail of the geometrically positioned ceiling lights