Curious about the blue and yellow giant before you? This is IKEA Hamburg-Altona. It is not just another furniture store. It is a unique concept. This IKEA was the first of its kind in Germany. It was designed as a city store.
IKEA Hamburg-Altona opened on June 30, 2014. The location is the former Frappant shopping center. IKEA bought the property in 2009 for 11.5 million euros. The old building was torn down in 2011. The new store has 18,000 square meters of retail space. It also includes 730 parking spaces. The investment cost 80 million euros. This was in addition to the land price.
Dinse Feest Zurl, an architecture firm from Hamburg, designed the facade. The design features a metal structure. Lamellas cause the color to shift depending on the viewing angle. It avoids the typical blue and yellow associated with IKEA stores. Six windows over 20 meters long break up the facade.
IKEA aimed to create a new type of store for pedestrian zones. Before the Altona location, smaller versions existed in Taipei and Coventry. IKEA Hamburg-Altona differs from regular IKEA stores. It has less floor space. However, it has more floors. The product range is slightly different. The delivery system is more flexible. In 2015, the German Trade Association named it “Store of the Year” in the “Living” category.
In its first year, the City-IKEA was one of the five most visited IKEA stores in Germany. However, sales per visitor were lower than the national average. This was because many people visited the restaurant. They did not necessarily buy furniture.
The construction of IKEA Hamburg-Altona was controversial. Supporters believed it would help the retail sector. Critics feared gentrification and traffic problems. In 2009, two opposing citizen initiatives prepared votes. In January 2010, 77.15 percent of Altona residents voted in favor of the store. Voter turnout was 43.47 percent.
IKEA Hamburg-Altona stands as a testament to innovation. It is a response to the changing needs of urban shoppers. This IKEA offers a unique shopping experience. It blends into the cityscape of Hamburg-Altona.