A bright and continuous white defines the façade of this striking pharmacy

It is uncommon for a pharmacy to be located in a standalone building with two full floors, rather than in a commercial ground floor. However, this is the structure of the newly inaugurated pharmacy in the municipality of Salceda de Caselas (Galicia), where the use of Dekton and Silestone creates a seamless connection from the façade to the interior surfaces.

Designed by Pablo Martínez, the complex uses the ground floor as a customer service area, with a dispensing area and even a consultation room. There is also space for the laboratory, administration area, storage, bathroom, and staff rest area. On the upper floor, which is restricted to the public, there is an office, a lounge area, and another bathroom. It also features a large terrace that breaks the continuity of the volume at the rear, while the recessed front creates dynamism and provides an entrance porch on the ground floor.

From the outside, the volume forms a continuous whole thanks to the white cladding of Dekton Moone. “The ventilated façade was resolved with a single-layer system with thermal insulation, in compliance with the CTE-HE requirements,” explains Martínez. He adds: “White was the main premise, so a SATE in this tone was considered, as well as a construction solution like the current one with a ventilated façade but with a metallic finish such as Alucobond. Ultimately, these were discarded because they were not as effective as Dekton, in addition to aesthetic considerations such as the large-format layout that was finally executed.”

The excellent mechanical properties of Dekton make it ideal for a façade, as it is resistant to UV rays, freeze-thaw cycles, abrasion, and stains. Cosentino also offers a 25-year warranty for this application and a commitment to sustainability with its Carbon Neutral certification.

The ability to use large-format slabs was also positively valued by the team when choosing the flooring. “This allowed us to avoid a large number of joints and ensured it worked as a whole with the façade,” recalls the architect. The flooring is, in fact, the same indoors and outdoors: Dekton Sandik, inspired by the Spanish marble Crema Marfil.

This soft finish colour, with a cream background and a subtle haze of grey tones, pairs perfectly with Dekton Argentium, a neutral grey with a trowelled effect reminiscent of lime stucco. It is also present in the bathroom cladding and even in its washbasin, the Reflection model in the same colour.

This project marks the beginning of the studio's use of Cosentino materials, and the result has been so successful that they have also been used in two of the most striking and central elements of the pharmacy: the dispensing counter and the laboratory worktop. In this case, the chosen material was Silestone in Posidonia Green.

“Cosentino materials are very aesthetic, robust, clean, and hygienic. Adaptation is straightforward if the project is well-planned and the correct layouts are made,” Martínez continues. However, to ensure the final success, the most important thing for the professional is to have experts up to the task. “The installation depends on whether the installer is the right one, as large formats are more challenging to place than standard formats. In this case, the installers recommended by Cosentino were suitable, and the result was very satisfactory.”