A 'friendly neighbor' in Vienna by Querkraft

With the mission "We want to be friendly neighbors," IKEA collaborated with architect Querkraft to design an IKEA store in Vienna. Located in the center of the Austrian capital, the store wanted to provide a car-free concept and only be accessed by walk or public transport. 

Far from the brand identity of IKEA, which is often synonymous with blue and yellow color, this building is identical to white and has a slightly yellow element at the entrance. Although in this design, architects want to show that this building provides added value to the surrounding environment, this seven-story building presents a roof terrace, lobby area, and outdoor space that contributes as a "friendly neighbor."

View from street

Based on the concept that the architect wants to bring, this building is designed like a large shelf by arranging a 4.5-meter terrace as a terrace room, green space, and as a mechanical space such as elevators, emergency stairs, toilets, and others. In addition, the seven-story structure of this building is used as an open space for the public, a café, a hostel on the top two floors, and a collection of giant potted plants on each floor. 

outdoor space in front of store

A design strategy to achieve space efficiency is also presented in this design. There are concrete columns with a distance of 10x10 meters. This distance makes the space in the building more flexible in its arrangement and use. Thus, changes in the layout of the space can be made easier for store management to do.

Interior IKEA store

The vertical circulation in this building uses an escalator with an arrangement so that visitors are enthusiastic about going up to the top floor, with a void to show visuals between floors. And the upper two floors are used as hostels and rooftop access that can be easily accessed by the public.

Interior IKEA store

In addition to having a store building concept that prioritizes sustainable buildings, IKEA Store wants to use solar panels in this 60,000-square-foot building. It is essential to be in a city with extreme winter and summer temperatures.

Fasade IKEA store