The next item in our 25-year anniversary series is Botika Vredenberg, an innovative multi use building which houses both a drugstore and a medical center. Over the past 15 years this has become a popular pharmacy on Curacao.
This project was designed in 2007 as an expansion of our client’s existing medical practice.
The assignment
The main challenge was to connect these two medical facilities and create a pharmacy on two levels. The drugstore had to be located on the ground floor, while the reception and medication areas had to be on the same level as the adjacent doctor’s practices. In addition, sufficient parking space had to be created, in accordance with local regulations.
The result is an ingenious design with a combination of stairs, ramps and steps that connect the different levels of the new building with the existing building and the parking lot. The large loft with gentle sloped stairs ensures that the two levels of the pharmacy feel like one space.
Sustainable the whole year round
A striking feature of the building is the large overhang. That was a design choice by Lyongo, but also plays a role in terms of sustainability. The advantage of an overhang is sun protection where it contributes to the cooling of the building. In combination with the insulated roofs, these choices contribute to a more sustainable future.
Lessons
Now that we reflect on this project, we also see sides that you as a designer are less happy with. Due to the limited budget, we were forced to use choose materials fitting to the financial situation. Also, the colors have been changed in recent years, causing the building to lose some of its refinement.
However, Botika Vredenberg remains a testimony to how creative architectural solutions and smart use of resources can lead to a functional and aesthetically pleasing healthcare building that serves the community.
Photography: Daphne Vermeulen
