Via Vigevano, 18, 20144 Milano, Italy

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Striped signage offers an engaging approach to wayfinding, inviting visitors to explore the pop-up.

Striped signage offers an engaging approach to wayfinding, inviting visitors to explore the pop-up.

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Part store, part restaurant, part concept, the pop-up offers design ideas along with purchasing functionality.

Part store, part restaurant, part concept, the pop-up offers design ideas along with purchasing functionality.

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One of several installations, a futuristic concept kitchen explores dining in 2025.

One of several installations, a futuristic concept kitchen explores dining in 2025.

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An installation themed around a traditional Italian kitchen features rustic notes.

An installation themed around a traditional Italian kitchen features rustic notes.

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A self-checkout system allows customers to shop from the 200 products on sale.

A self-checkout system allows customers to shop from the 200 products on sale.

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Stencils invite discussion about food while directing visitors to the pop-up.

Stencils invite discussion about food while directing visitors to the pop-up.

Photography courtesy of Echochamber

IKEA Temporary, Milan


Location:

Via Vigevano, 18, 20144 Milano, Italy

ikea.com

Design Credit:

IKEA in-house in collaboration with IDEO and others.

IKEA is all about combining small things to form a bigger whole – an ethos the Swedish home furniture company extends even as far as its pop-up stores.

On display as part of the Milan Expo 2015, the IKEAtemporary project invited designers to create installations using the company’s new modular Metod kitchen range.

The result? A series of engaging, diverse ways of approaching eating, cooking, dining and socialising in the kitchen space.

One features a central, herb-filled greenhouse for children to play in while food is prepared on the surrounding countertops, the aim being to include kids in family kitchen rituals.

Another explores open, stylish design suitable for wheelchair users. All blond wood and chrome appliances, it features one slightly lower benchtop with space beneath and around, providing room for a wheelchair to manoeuvre.

IKEA Temporary brings together designs from IDEO and local creatives to explore new ways of cooking and dining.

A third recreates the vibe of a traditional Italian kitchen. Its homely, social approach incorporates common ingredients hanging over a central table and a wall-mounted assortment of pots and pans. Red-tipped wooden poles lend a rustic tone.

Meanwhile, London’s IDEO studio, in partnership with local university students, shares a vision of a 2025 kitchen featuring self-refrigerating containers, an integrated recycling system and an interactive table with cooking, dining and preparation functionality.

Visitors follow green and white-striped signage to explore the spaces – which contain more than 200 products that can be purchased via self-checkout terminals, plus a cafe serving the store’s famous meatballs.

The whole thing is like IKEA’s popular Billy bookcase: functional, stylish, and well put together.


Words by Stephanie Campisi


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