On a lively street corner in Taichung, Taiwan, HÔNG LÂI Herbology reimagines the traditional Chinese medicine shop for a contemporary audience, blending heritage with a distinctly modern outlook. The project, a collaboration with FLOAT DESIGN STUDIO, moves beyond nostalgia, presenting a fresh interpretation of cultural continuity through space and function.
The client’s personal history forms the heart of the concept. Raised within a family-run herbal pharmacy, he carried the apothecary cabinet as both memory and muse. Restored vintage drawers now form the visual and operational core, their presence grounding a new workflow that shifts seamlessly from preparing herbal prescriptions to serving botanical drinks and desserts.
Materials set the tone for this interplay between old and new. Reclaimed wood sits alongside stainless steel, galvanised iron, and corrugated aluminium, creating a spatial dialogue where history and industrial modernity converse. Sustainability runs throughout, with fittings salvaged from the site’s former life as a dessert shop, embedding layers of memory into the space.
Local craftsmanship takes centre stage, too. Lighting fixtures incorporate bark from the Taiwanese paper mulberry, while the store’s identity blends hand-lettered characters with geometric abstraction. Even the hand-painted signage nods to a slower, more artisanal approach in an age of digital convenience.
Not just about aesthetics, by combining the apothecary with café culture, HÔNG LÂI Herbology makes traditional knowledge approachable for younger audiences. Here, folklore and future meet: the name references ‘Penglai,’ a mythical island linked with immortality, while also nodding to Taiwan’s poetic past.
At the centre of the open-plan layout sits a long communal table. Whether sharing herbal wisdom or sampling botanical desserts, visitors are encouraged to engage beyond the transactional.
Looking ahead, the flexible layout accommodates workshops, cultural talks, and small-scale events, positioning HÔNG LÂI as both shop and platform. With its approach to design, heritage, and community, this Taichung space charts an inspired course for traditional medicine in the 21st century.
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HÔNG LÂI Herbology Taiwan Photography, ian interior photo.
