IKEA museum and design Factory: Architecture as a brand
enhancement device
Introduction.enhancement device
Buildings have long been agents used to identify Places, People, and even
Situations; Landmark buildings facilitate this mode of identification. But how
does a building become a landmark? What aids it to transcend its normal
mundane everyday existence in a web of its kind? The answer to this question
could possible be a mix between its Situation –location in a place, its
Character –specific design language unique to the building –or even its use–
the activities it houses.
What is true in that answer or rather what is most prevalent is the case of
situation and character, a buildings situation within a city or a urban network
can indeed help to enhance its notice ability. When a piece of ordinary
architecture is situated on a prime lot it does become a landmark for its
vicinity, it aids us the user of the particular urban organism to store the
location even if it is not a spectacular structure.
The Character of a working piece of architecture also makes it noticeable
even more so than its situation. To test this one can easily think of any church
- churches are always used as place markers for the reason that they all have
a specific language of design –within a city, depending on the secular
persuasion the church may belong to –speak a different language. This
language is usual separate from the norm of the time or the location it is in. So
its safe to say that the ultimate way to make a building memorable is to make
it different this fact has no opposition.
Reversing to the point of buildings being an identifier for people, places and
situations. It is noticeable that the medium of architecture is now being
exploited as a brand communicating or image building device, this means that
companies are starting to use architecture to promote themselves and there
products this can be seen mostly in the automobile industry with the big
named, cutting edge automobile producers and also in the fashion industry
with iconic fashion designers building extravagant flagship stores to house
there products and be inviting to there loyal customers. These brand names
are all incorporating a specific language of architecture to promote their
product and express their philosophies this idea has created beautiful
structures – Porsche museum, BMW welt, Mercedes museum, Prada
Flagship store, Armani Flagship store etc. – that are not only eye catching but
leaves a mark on whomever experiences them and gains admiration through
their spectacular methods of design and construction.
Architecture has long been used as a tool for brand building in the
corporate identity programs of multi national corporations. The world of
Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Hersheyʼs Chocolate world in Pennsylvania, the
Fabrica Benetton Art School in Italy, and VWʼs AutoStadt in Germany
are just a few of the many examples of architecture serving as visual
symbol of expression of corporations culture and personality. Unlike
conventional architecture, brand environments are based not on and
existing physical context but on a holistic corporate identity program
designed to represent and support a firmʼs values and philosophy. a
corporate identity program is a marketing concept that synthesizes
corporate or institutional goals through a visual and spatial message,
as part of a multidimensional communication process that engages the
companyʼs investors, consumers, and employees as well as the
general public. Corporate architecture as a integral part of a
comprehensive corporate identity program, conveys a firmʼs core ideas
and belief systems by simultaneously providing a symbolic dimension
an emotional experience and an organizational structure that helps
strengthen corporate values on a perceptual level. Within this context,
architecture transmits a firms values –external as a image to
prospective target markets, and internally among workers –by means
of environments that are designed to get every one who enters them
attuned to the companyʼs most basic ideas and thus enable messages
to be easily understood and remembered1
This Brings us to the problem of IKEA, IKEA is a large furniture company with
Swedish roots producing affordable household furniture since 1953 they have
approximately 293 locations across the globe, and they have pioneered the
idea of flat packing. Ikea has also ventured into the prefabricated housing
realm with there collaboration with the Skanska Brothers to produce Bo Klok.
Bo Klok was branded a comfortable and affordable, well designed, cost
effective housing units conceived when Ikea and Skanska brothers realized
that prefabricated housing units would be most the most cost-effective
housing program to undertake. The improvement in construction time was one
of the major factors influencing and pushing the scheme they realized that a
house could be constructed out of prefabricated parts in just over six weeks
and the standardizing of building elements made these houses very
affordable with one house rental costing approximately 3000 SEK or 300USD
in the initial stages of the Bo Klok houses Ikea would ask there customers
about there living needs and from that they realize that most of there needs
were essentially consistent and by paying close attention to the market they
were able to come up with a good solution. They were also careful about
constructing the bigger building, which had six units, so as to not make them
look like housing projects. Bo Klok translated “Live Sensible” House were
mostly available in Sweden with plans to branch off into England, Denmark
and Poland.
This Bo Klok Scheme can be scene as Ikeas first attempt to transmit brand
influence through architecture.
Ikea is a very successful corporation with very humble beginnings.
Ikeaʼs Image as a brand is directly corresponded through the typology of there
stores which is mainly done in an industrial style and their name plus colors all
representatives of there origins, and adds to how they are depicted in the
publicʼs eye. But they are also perceived through their products as well, it is
easy to identify an Ikea lamp or piece of Ikea furniture.
A brand like Ikea, like the automobile brands can venture deeper into
architecture as a representative medium.
1 Anna klingmann,brandscapes,architecture as a brand, pg 259, line 12-31
This proposal for a IKEA museum and concept factory stems from this idea of
representation, if the colors and the logo was stripped away from Ikea as they
are seen now, they would simply disappear the challenge here is to design a
structure that goes beyond simple symbolism, a spectacle if one dares to say
so.
Design Objectives
Redefine and transmit Ikea brand image and design philosophy through the
use of contemporary architectural ideas and technologies.
Design Methodologies
The work on this design thesis will involve review and analysis of precedent
buildings of similar use typology by diagrammatically deconstructing them and
examining specific architectural qualities they contain. Specifically:
• Building Form
• Site Relationship
• Context Response
• Spatial flows
• Performance
It is also an investigation into digital production methods for creating per
formative components and optimization of spatial conditions within the
building as wells as computational influences on building placement and
orientation.
Main Considerations for design Generation
Site/Context.
A site will be chosen in Stockholm, the home of the first Ikea flagship store.
Stockholm offers a strong urban envelope for the injection of this intervention,
This urban influence is a key ingredient for the buildings design it offers a
wonderful environment with which to link to and become a part of. The main
Challenge foreseen in the case of context is typologies of buildings making up
the city and how to stand out without over shadowing them.
Spatial Programming.
Examination of typical museum programs and general arrangements is also a
key consideration to provide the most optimal use of space and delight in flow
The program should also facilitate Ikeas store flow philosophy.
Material Scope.
Materials are another key element for expression, materials will be chosen
based on the context and region.
Material choice will influence how the building ties into the context and also
how it transmits the design philosophies of Ikea. An examination of Ikeaʼs
product materials will be done to try to incorporate it as a material language in
the buildings.
Structure.
The structural arrangement of a building adds to its overall aesthetics the
challenge here then would be the seamless merger of structure with the other
building entity such as floor, skin and roof making them a group of systems
forming one whole instead of segregated parts. structural solutions should be
investigate and chosen on the basis of aesthetics and performance.
Skin
The skin of the building is its main calling card the museum skin should aim to
be responsive as well as interactive it should perform under the influence or
certain parameters such as environmental or spatial parameters.
Program Break Down.
Museum Program
• Entry Vestibule
• Lobby/Orientation
• Admission Tickets
• Museum Stores
• Storage For museum Stores
• Main Exhibition Space(fixed exhibits)
• Concept Exhibition space
• Developing designers Exhibit
• Media Center
• Lecture Hall
• Reception/waiting
• Administrative offices
• Directors office
• Conference room
Concept Factory for Experimental furniture design
• Design studios
• Material room
• Workshop
• Offices
• Kitchen
• Production area
Concept factory must be linked directly to Concept exhibition space.
Presentation Format
The Final presentation will take the format of a bound document
A4 Lanscape format
Including:
• Design Thesis
• Concept Analysis
• Site analysis
• Precedence analysis
• Design Development
• Final Designs
