Interesting Know-hows, Evolving into Architecture

This IKEA is part of a masterplan to enhance the North-South axis in Rotterdam by shopping. Many people will come to the centre by public traffic. These people will travel by tram, subway, train, bus or even by watertaxi. Station Blaak is a central point, because of all these various forms of public traffic comes together at this point. The IKEA building therefore could act as a central starting point. Once people arrived at station Blaak they can shop at IKEA and from there on continue their shopping programme for the rest of the day. The IKEA at the Blaak will have new programmatic links because of the special location in Rotterdam. The largest market in the Netherlands is next to the IKEA. There´s a need for more market space and therefore at market days, there is a extension of the market at the IKEA. This market could expose new IKEA products and is located near the water. Many people come, especially in summertime, to sit on the terraces in the Old Harbor next to the yellow cubic houses. The new IKEA will have the restaurant on the ground floor near the water so potential customers can be attracted after having a drink on the terrace. This new city centred IKEA will also have a public hall which is connected to the underground network of the train and subway. This way people can wait for the train to leave while eating hotdogs at the IKEA food market. Because of the addment of IKEA shopping programme in the centre, the need to extend the market and the lack of a central hall for the station Blaak, IKEA will respond and regenerate the area. Also the new restaurant on the side of the Old Harbor will help to upgrade this location.