IKEA Museum will open in June 30th

15/06/2016. [Älmhult] Sweden
metalocus, ELENA GALLEGO

For 70 years, people have included IKEA in their homes around the world. Now is turn of IKEA to open its ones. The IKEA Museum will open its doors on June 30, in Älmhult, Sweden, which once was its first store.

The stairs and the walk along the facade is called Smålandsgången. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

The stairs and the walk along the facade is called Smålandsgången. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

IKEA Museum exterior. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

The walls of a shipping container serves as a link… © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

IKEA Museum exterior, entrance area. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

First IKEA store in Älmhult, Sweden. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

Ingvar Kamprad with ÖGLA, SAMPO, IDUN, TORE. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

IKEA catalogue cover 1970. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

Intro main exhibition. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

Detail, intro, main exhibition. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

The menu is based on their famous meatballs, but with a new modern take. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

Modern housing during the 1940s changed household work. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

CAVELLI armchair. Design: Bengt Ruda. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

TEMA cabinet. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

Just like pine, kids were welcome in every room. 1970s. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

ANNA childrens furniture. Design: Otto Nielsen. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

#IKEAtemporary. METOD kitchen by Paola Navone. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

#IKEAtemporary, IKEA HACKA kitchen. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

Light, natural and minimalist. 1990s. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

FLISAT children’s table. Design: Sara Fager/Jon Karlsson. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

IKEA Catalogue covers through the ages. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

Material samples. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

Board-on-frame technology broke through in the 1990s. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

During the 1990s, plastic products, such as MAMMUT and HATTEN. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

Pine was inexpensive, but knotty and rarely used in furniture. 1970s. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

Signature dish, meatballs fried in butter. IKEA started serving meatballs in 1979. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

The Allen key has been in the IKEA packages since 1967. © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

Floorplans © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2016

The Museum is in the building that housed the world's first IKEA store, which opened in 1958 and closed last 2012 when a new store opened in Älmhult. The exterior of the building had to be restored largely to return to its original shape, following his architect Claes Knutson plans, recovering the modernist style, while the interior has been created specifically based on the modern museum needs. There’s no better way to celebrate its 70th anniversary, that let us to visit the true origin of the brand, understanding their motivations, values and company culture.

The IKEA Museum is for anyone that's interested in the story of IKEA.

The Main exhibition will take us on a journey through different times and contexts. Here, they share everything that makes IKEA what it is today - the ideas and driving forces, the people and furniture, the mistakes and lessons learned.

In one part of the exhibition it will also highlight the stories of the longest serving products in the range. For example, the KLIPPAN sofa, much- loved for its kid-friendly design and changeable covers. At the exhibition we are invited in to people's homes around the world to see the ways they personalise and use their BILLY bookcases and KLIPPAN sofas.

At the IKEA Museum we’ll also find a Temporary Exhibition, which at the moment is focusing on life in an around the kitchen. Here, there is lots of space for imagining what life at home will look like in the future. This exhibition was first shown at the 2015 Milan Furniture Fair under the hashtag #IKEAtemporary.

The IKEA Museum will also have a restaurant and shop and even will offer an educational programme. The IKEA Museum is housed in what was once the very first IKEA store in Älmhult, which opened in 1958.