"Drugstore Gallery" is a new concept venue opened in Harajuku, Tokyo. The concept of the space is, as the name of the venue suggests, "a gallery like a drugstore."

Drugstores in Japan, such as “Fuji Pharmacy” and “Matsumotokiyoshi”, sell not only medicines and condoms to daily products such as beverages, alcohol, and snacks, but also simple beauty equipment and cosmetics. We aimed to create a space like an art gallery that can be selected the highest quality design in each category of such a product lineup.

This venue has three elemental spaces: "Gallery", "Coffee Stand", and "Bar". The gallery is usually a store space with a curated selection of the finest daily products. This space also can display a wide range of artwork, from photography, graphic design, and paintings to installations and corporate pop-up stores. The coffee stand has a counter for ToGo, where you can get coffee, matcha drinks, and light meals. The bar is a space where visitors can enjoy craft beers and natural wines from around the world. This venue is a space that seamlessly connects the three functions and houses them so that the potential of the venue can be maximized.

All products in the store are selected in the spirit of sustainability and fair trade. Because the curation of the products in this venue is also linked to sustainability, we were challenged to make sure that the space would contain the same. First, we designed the space to contain the existing air conditioning system and flooring, to minimize energy costs due to the extended construction period. The walls and ceilings are partially composed of light gauge steel frames, and the concrete visible through these frames is also incorporated as a design element, aiming to contain a minimum amount of material.

Lighting is installed at different color temperatures for each function of the space. The gallery is set basically at 5000K, which can be changed from 5000K to 2700K depending on the products on display, the coffee stand contains 3600K fixtures and the bar contains 2700K fixtures with different color temperatures. We installed FRP panels at the border between the bar and the gallery, where the spaces have different uses and color temperatures. It serves to softly connect the different lighting effects of each space. The panels are installed on a light gauge steel base without any kind of adhesive and can be disassembled and reused. On the facade, we removed only the glass from the existing sash and installed a countertop for ToGo. We used recycled materials for the walls from the coffee stand to the bar. The material is made of recycled ash from thermal power generation, construction waste, paper, and coffee bean husks.

We wanted to create a space with minimal construction for maximum performance. Minimizing the number of new items to be built would also minimize industrial waste and costs when this venue is closed. We faced these challenges and were able to create a functional, minimalist space.