this building makes an important contribution to the future of a living and ecological city and also to the future of retailing – an urban IKEA building which reflects the brand. It’s environmentally sustainable, friendly, open, unconventional and informal.
a 4.5m deep sphere lays around the core like a shady shelf. certain sections of the sphere are accessible during off-hours of the store. it contains all the necessary elements - lifts, stairs or other serving elements. maintenance can be performed from the outside, separate from customer business.
the entrance level is vibrant: four escalators turn towards visitors encouraging to visit the upper levels. the three levels for the showroom and market hall can be arranged completely free. glazed boxes in each floor expand the space and can be provided and used in many different ways. open platforms serve as balcony zones.
the lively mix of different functions like hotel, a restaurant and retail area are completed by the public rooftop accessible beyond shopping hours.
160 trees in the facade and on the roof sustainably influence the micro-climate. computer-simulations indicate a temperature decrease on pedestrian level of 1.5 °C.
