Cobe to Convert Former IKEA Warehouse into Museum of Furniture Studies in Älmhult
Cobe, a Danish architecture firm, is set to repurpose a former IKEA warehouse in Älmhult, Sweden, into the permanent location for the Museum of Furniture Studies. Established in 2017 in Stockholm, the museum shuttered its physical site in 2022 but continued to operate a Digital Archive until IKEA acquired it in 2024. This initiative will transform a storage area into a spacious environment while maintaining its industrial essence by adding three large windows, keeping the steel frame intact, and incorporating a timber structure for a mezzanine. The museum is slated to open in early February 2027, featuring educational areas, exhibition zones, and a central "canyon." Recent highlights include IKEA's "Food for Thought by IKEA" exhibition at the 2026 Milan Design Week and various museum openings globally.
Key facts
- Cobe will transform a former IKEA warehouse in Älmhult, Sweden, into the Museum of Furniture Studies.
- The Museum of Furniture Studies was founded in 2017 in Stockholm with over 1,300 pieces by more than 44 designers.
- The museum's physical location closed in 2022; it was acquired by IKEA in 2024.
- Cobe's design preserves the industrial structure, adds three large windows, and inserts a timber mezzanine.
- The timber structure is designed for disassembly, following circular design principles.
- The museum will feature exhibition spaces, workshops, lectures, and community events on the ground floor.
- The open collection will be displayed on galvanized steel shelving on the mezzanine.
- The building is scheduled to open in early February 2027.
Entities
Artists
- Dan Stubbergaard
- Jonatan Jahn
- Hans J Wegner
Institutions
- Cobe
- IKEA
- Museum of Furniture Studies
- Digital Archive for Design Furniture
- Salone del Mobile.Milano
- Fiera Milano
- ArchDaily
- LACMA
- V&A East Museum
- OMA
- New Museum
- Dezeen
Locations
- Älmhult
- Sweden
- Stockholm
- Milan
- Italy
- Los Angeles
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York