Last week we shared a story about how Ikea is moving towards becoming climate positive by 2030. This week we feature the plans for their new Vienna store, which will look a lot different than any Ikea before. In fact, the new urban shopping destination will feature vertical forests and no parking lots.
Located near the capital’s Westbahnhof Station, the innovative design was conceptualized by Querkraft Architekten and the forgone parking aims to accommodate and encourage shoppers arriving by public transportation. Furthermore, the location will offer convenient delivery options to shoppers so they don’t have to carry bulky purchases on public transit. The green design will also have trees on terraces, a large green roof, and spaces arranged into modular boxes that fit into a busy grid of activity.
Ikea broke ground on the building last week and expect to finish construction by 2021. The company is creating a series of more feasible urban options for city dwellers including small-format stores in New York, Paris, and London, which serve more as showrooms for customers to select items before ordering them online. This new development is yet another shopping solution for the modern less car-dependent urban population.
