IKEA HUBHULT | Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter

Project: Headquarters, meeting facilities and offices

Energy: BREEAM Certification

Adress: Hubhult/ Älmhultsgatan, Malmö, Sweden

Area: 25.000m2

Client: IKEA Global Mötecentrum

Architect: Dorte Mandrup A/S

Status: Completed in Sep. 2015

IKEA HUBHULT a place to work, meet, act, grow and create – together

HUBHULT is IKEA’s new global meeting centre and workspace - home to 1,500 employees.

Located in Hyllie/Svågertorp, HUBHULT plays an important part in the ongoing development of the area. With its sudden profile and precise proportions, HUBHULT contributes and sets the standard to the surrounding area with ambition in both building quality as well as respect for the location between the unspoiled landscape and the newest part of Malmö City.        

HUBHULT is Scandinavia’s most environmentally friendly office building and the most environmentally ambitious IKEA building in the world, certified with BREEAM - Outstanding.

From the overall geometry to the technical details, the task is to create optimum energy efficiency and sustainable solutions. The architectural expression is simple with associations to a factory iconic profile. The facades are treated with upscaled openings to downscale the overall volume. The fixed awnings are designed from the exact study of the sun’s position in order to create optimal sun protection compared to daily operation and energy frame.

The building complex consists of three volumes; one separate volume which is a parking-house with solar panels on the façade, and two squared volumes which is connected diagonally. The two squared volumes - one high and one low – contain workspace and meeting centre. A central roof garden, that creates spatial variation and optimal daylight conditions, penetrates the lower volume.

The main architectural feature is three large rotating light wells and a huge meeting staircase, all connecting the different floors , designed to embrace interaction and diversity, allowing employees to share knowledge and learn from each other – formally and informally - through adaptation and flexibility of the open spaces.

The meeting centre is placed on the ground floor together with foyer, open collaborating areas and a co-workers’ café. The upper floors are designed as free open spaces that have optimal contact with each other through several staggered double high spaces. Each floor is designed to embrace activity based working and presents a variety of interior designs.

HUBHULT is designed in close collaborating between Dorte Mandrup and IKEA. A remarkable collaboration across Öresund where similarities, as well as differences between the cultures, have been creatively used in benefit of the result. A successful teamwork with the ambition to create a 3D version of the IKEA brand.