althea herbolario

2022
los palos grandes, caracas
area: 210 m2
design + supervision + management
collaboration: maría corina sacchini
engineering and construction: constructora satini
photography: outer vision


To house the newest apothecary in the city of Caracas, after all commerce of the sort had disappeared, was a stimulating challenge for mrpunto arquitectos asociados. Their first project as a team, Althea Herbalist was commissioned to take the place where a beloved family-owned neighborhood bookshop had operated for 30 years. Paying homage to such heritage was meaningful to the team as their practice is concerned with the balance between built and empty space, seeking to repurpose things and spaces, rather than thinking about the construction of something completely new. Althea was an adaptive architectural reuse challenge where key existing elements were seized during the creative process.

While the lower part of the two floors was relatively long and narrow, the façade had a very peculiar double-height condition that was


being wasted. The existing upper level occupied the entire floor plan and it was impossible to appreciate the total height from the inside nor out. This was the perfect opportunity to understand the front window display as a completely different object that allowed the user to look at the space from the street and feel invited to come in. A new recessed mezzanine was created using an independent structural suspended system. This produced a floating element without any support invading the lower level, allowing for free circulation through the entire layout, also generating a double-height access and shopping space that would let us display every single product, making them visible from the street.

Taking advantage of the newly cleared space, and as a tribute to the old bookshop, a floor-to-ceiling shelving system was designed in 
light wood –with integrated rolling ladders– thatcould accommodate everything, complete with signage and anchoring systems to identify the products. This solved one of the main issues of displaying the huge amount of miscellaneous alternative medicine products to be displayed, ranging from homeopathy, aromatherapy, flower remedies, phytotherapy to personal care. 

On the upper level, there was a complete renovation on the left-hand side within the area of the lower level, yet a partial renovation on the right-hand side between which a threshold was created to establish some dualities to work around and compose a design narrative. The overall moodboard leaned into contrasting ideas of natural raw vs. futuristic industrial, commercial vs. production spaces, warm vs. cold ambiance. On the left, to evoke a calmer atmosphere, a warmer palette was chosen.
 A neutral base color to paint the raw ribbed textured walls going was combined with coral stone, onyx-marble with shades of pink, ceramic tiles, Canadian maple veneer and other natural materials. On the right, since it is essentially workspace, a cleaner environment was created using glass partitions and white laminate woodwork combined with a light-blue paint, and restoring the existing terrazzo floor finishing.

Thus newly-gained height also works as a guide towards the new staircase leading to the upper level, where the user arrives at a nodal space and decides whether to contemplate downwards, or cross the threshold to make use of the rest of the spaces upstairs.

Once crossed, the lab where the pharmacy operates pops-up, entering the second commercial unit and working as an isolated  clean capsule with two large windows through which anyone can observe the preparation of homeopathic products. Right next to it is a multipurpose space that can be expanded or shrunk through the use of a curtain to contain a small private massage corner. 

Althea Herbalist restores a neighborhood essential space through intentional architectural operations, with a contemporary aesthetic all the while sensibly considering the particular qualities of a client determined to offer alternative choices to the public.