Alte Heslacher Apotheke
The project completed by the German architect Klaus Bürger involved the total remodelling of the old pharmacy Alte Heslacher Apotheke, established in 1888 on the ground floor of a structure, located in the outskirts of Stuttgart, which dates from the founding of the city. The sandstone facade on the corner of the street is a typical example of nineteenth-century German architecture. The plan for the complete renovation of the establishment icluded the redefinition of the space and of the material and decorative finishes. The ceilings were raised, several new windows were opened and the sandstone of the facade was introduced in the interior of the pharmacy in an attempt to facilitate the transition between the internal	domain and its external setting. The floor plan of the premises is rectangular and it is divided into two parts. The larger section is public, an unbroken spacious area with no separating elements besides the large counter. The second section is concealed behind the counter and consists of a work table for the pharmacist, a small rest room for the personnel, and an office in which the business in managed. The contrasts in this multiple reality create tension and dynamism, two of the major principles of cultural life. Viewing architecture as an applied art that faithfully reflects the social community that provides its context, and at the same time, as an instrument for expression, it is logical that this discipline is influenced by these same contrasts,	which acquire new and individual meanings through the application of distinct strategies. In the case of theis Stuttgart pharmacy, the materials and the form are the elements that are largely responsible for the construction of a clearly defined environment on the basis of a multitude of oppsitions. The fundamental objective that guided the remodelling process of the Alte Heslacher Apotheke was the definition of an environment characterized by material contrasts, whose immediate referent was the ancient art of alchemy, both because of the oppositions generated beween the elements and because of the effect produced by each of the materials selectec. In fact, theis project might be regarded as an act of homage to this discipline that laid
		>>