IKEA Wordmark at Croft Road street level surrounded by more robust fibre cement cladding

IKEA


Coventry
(with Ruddle Wilkinson Architects/Capita Architecture)

Client:


Inter IKEA Systems / IKEA UK

Description:


IKEA Coventry is the first and only city centre IKEA store in the UK. The store was designed alongside IKEA's design office in Sweden. The footprint area was a lot smaller than an out of town store meaning that the building had to be built upwards rather than outwards. It is an unconventional design but in-keeping with the principles of the standard IKEA store layout.

I was involved in the project from inception to completion. Firstly I worked on concept designs then the planning stage to get an agreed design. During construction I was Package Leader for the external envelope coordinating a small team and working with the cladding subcontractor.

IKEA Wordmark at Croft Road street level surrounded by more robust fibre cement cladding
Initial design proposal – larger store built over existing culvert – rejected on cost grounds
Planning drawings – main elevations - more silver than blue cladding was at the request of the planners
View from Corporation Street / Croft Road junction showing the IKEA blue box and yellow entrance
View from Inner ring road showing majority of silver cladding
IKEA blue box feature window and fire staircore close ups
IKEA Wordmark at Croft Road street level surrounded by more robust fibre cement cladding
design by Ben Stephens:  site by gecko 55