Ikea is a lot of things to a lot of people. To some of us, it's essentially hell on earth; a gigantic shrine to consumerism with added meatballs, which pushes products you'd need a masters in engineering to assemble with any genuine level of accomplishment. To others, it's simply the best place to shop for affordable furniture. With added meatballs. For me, however, there's a certain nostalgia attached to the place. Growing up, my parents owned a small retail business, so we would often make weekend trips to Ikea, and I fondly remember spending hours in the playroom, the cinema (yes, it actually had a cinema) and (with the guiding hand of my mother, of course) wandering around the vast expanse of store itself with wide-eyed abandon. As such, for me at least, the concept of an Ikea Museum actually makes sense, as I surely can't be the only one?
“Ikea is very keen to keep changing the offer of the museum and keep it updatable to bring in new audiences over time”
As if answering my prayers (OK, maybe we're taking it a little far now) the Swedish furniture gods are set to open the first major Ikea Museum in Sweden this month, which will tell the company’s story of transformation from initial concept to worldwide brand. The museum will be based in Älmhult, the town in which the first ever Ikea store was built way back in 1958. I don't know about you, but I was shocked to learn that the brand was almost as old as my father!
An impressive roster of design teams have worked together on the project. Ralph Appelbaum Associates worked with Ikea’s in-house creative team to create the narrative and interior design of the permanent exhibition spaces, and Swedish consultancy Form Us With Love, created the interior design for the temporary exhibition space. Architect Wilkinson Eyre, meanwhile, created the architectural master plan for the project, alongside Swedish architect Uulas Arkitekter.
“The designers worked with the architects to “insert a story into the building so that it was told in a logical and interesting way”
The museum also includes a restaurant and shop, designed by Ikea’s in-house team. Encompassing four floors and 7000m2, the space will be split into a temporary exhibition on the basement and ground floors, and a permanent exhibition on the first and second floors. The permanent space is divided into three areas: “Our Roots”, “Our Story” and “Your Story.” Running chronologically, Ikea’s story will snake upwards across both floors.
“Our Roots” will look at the brand’s conception as a small company, founded by Ingvar Kamprad in 1943, who used to hand-deliver products to customers on a milk cart, and at design figures from the 19th century which influenced the store and embodied Swedish design values such as hard work, resourcefulness and humbleness. “Our Story” will then look at the development of the brand in the 1950s as a furniture company, starting with its first store opening in 1958, with insights into how customers shopped in that era. Exhibits include early-range furniture, images and 3D models of the first store, and it will showcase the brand’s history through the decades to the 1990s.
“We tried to use a simple, pared back system which is easily changed, because Ikea itself is changing often”
Finally, “Your Story” will be based around people’s personal experiences with Ikea, with iconic items showcased such as Ikea’s BILLY bookcase and KLIPPAN sofas. Small areas are devoted to iconic Ikea designed products, such as the store’s blue carrier bag. These bespoke areas allow visitors to peek into the world of Ikea, and discover new things about the brand. The permanent exhibition space ends with a film, which aims to inspire viewers to make their lives more exciting, interesting and beautiful through furniture. A whiff of pretension perhaps, but I'll allow it.
According to Philip Hughes, Creative Director for the Ikea Museum at Ralph Appelbaum Associates, there will also be a temporary exhibition space, which will change over time. It will open with an exhibition looking at kitchenware and furniture, and will look at the future of home-ware. This idea links in with the design of the permanent museum space. The walls of this space are modular, with pin-boards where different graphics and products can be placed and hung.
This is the first major museum space from the furniture brand, and replaces a much smaller 800m2 exhibition space in Älmhult devoted to Ikea called “Through the Ages.” This was a much more modest attraction that even locals didn't really know or care about. The museum, however, is the attraction that the brand really deserves. The Ikea museum will open at Ikeagatan 5, Älmhult, Sweden on June 30. Ikea has not said whether there are currently plans to build any more museums worldwide, but I certainly hope they consider building one in the UK. I for one would be lining up on opening day.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from Kidderminster in the UK.
