IKEA is planning its most sustainable store in the world in the heart of the city of Vienna, tailored specifically to the habits of 2020s customers.
The store will be located in Mariahilferstrasse, Vienna’s main shopping street, and will be connected to Westbahnhof train station. That’s because it will only be accessible by public transportation or bike or foot, so much that the store won’t even have car parking. “A car is neither needed nor wanted at this location,” it reads on the project’s official presentation because most people living in the Vienna city centre don’t even own one anymore.
The IKEA Westbahnhof store will also aim to be as green as possible with a publicly-accessible roof garden and with 160 trees on the building, as well as choosing sustainable building materials. The store definitely aims to be more than just a simple shopping centre, and in the same building, it will also house a hostel and food opportunities to bring shoppers and guests together.
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The whole store is ultimately founded on the purpose of it being a meeting place for people, where “everyone shall feel welcomed and recognised,” as it reads on the project’s description. “And our meeting place sends positive, optimistic messages brings fun and laughter”.
The store is expected to open in the autumn of 2021. In the meanwhile, you can stay updated on IKEA Austria’s official website here.
