Travelling through Southern Sweden today it’s easy to miss one landmark in Kronoberg County, whether you’re speeding through the small Swedish towns on the train or zipping along Swedish National road 23 (or riksväg). Tucked beside the railway line is the home to one of the most recognizable Swedish exports, IKEA.
By road, heading North towards Stockholm you may barely register the large blue and yellow IKEA as you pass the access road leading off the highway. It’s a new building, typical of the blue boxes that dot urban landscapes across the world, and in many ways it’s not very remarkable. Take the train through the Swedish countryside and if you’re observant you, the familiar brand may be noticeable on a few buildings, but most indications are hidden from view. Across a footbridge from the train station is at least one remarkable building.
Stamped on many IKEA products is the name Älmhult—a small country town in the South of Sweden that’s home of the flat-pack giant. Älmhult isn’t quite the birthplace of the Swedish furniture giant. The real clue is in the company name, the acronym for its founder and real start location, Ingvar Kamprad grew up and founded his first business back in 1943 on the family farm Elmtaryd near the village of Agunnaryd. But when the young company went to open the first IKEA store, it chose a larger nearby town, and the business grew roots.
The municipality lies 475km south of Stockholm, and it’s home to over 10,000 residents spread around the wider region. Easily hidden by trains resting on the sidings, the backside on building, the backside of a former store gives little hint. This is the original store, a midcentury building that was closed in 2012 when a big new blue box was built on the edge of town. After a few vacant years, the retailer announced the original store would be reopened as a museum.
Following several few delays, and with the building restored, the new museum opened to the public in June 2016. At one point the original building was renovated to resemble a typical, if not undersized, IKEA. Now a stunning long low white and black building with short slits cut into the facade, the main podium stands a part from the rest of the building.
Älmhult
The first visit to the museum happened the following March, on a rainy Saturday morning that brighten up after lunch. The train ride from Copenhagen was smooth, and the forested Swedish countryside flew by. Except for the existence of a passenger train, one might think you’re travelling through parts of the Canadian Shield in densely forested North-Western Ontario and Eastern Manitoba.
The town itself is not very big. The museum and hotel are a short walk from the train station. After visiting the museum, take a walk through the town. The IKEA complex of buildings sit on West of the railway tracks, beyond that residential streets weave through the forested land. To the south, homes, and industrial buildings hug close to the tracks with IKEA Industry and distribution buildings appearing between other industries.
A town square and small downtown sit to the East of the train station. If you cross the square, and detour around a large government building, the road leads to the edge of town. A 25-minute walk along Östra Esplanaden past a few classic Swedish homes, many apartment blocks, and a sports field, will bring you to the newer IKEA. Along the road you may even spot the towering IKEA sign looming in the distance. There are numerous walking paths cutting through the trees and at times following the roads. After visiting the IKEA store, wander back along those paths into town. One route will take you along a road between two roundabouts, over the railway tracks into the cluster of IKEA buildings. They house the retailer’s designers, and well as one of the biggest photo studios in the world, the very building where all those catalogue room settings are captured. Venture further West, or find your way back to the parking lot ringed by the hotel and museum.
There are plenty of restaurants in Älmhult so you don’t need to eat only meatballs, however for the full IKEA experience it’s worth trying the museum restaurant which is best described as an elevated IKEA store restaurant where the chefs have been allowed to get more creative while still being familiar. Across the parking lot in the hotel, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with lunch and dinner being an even more creative culinary elevation of traditional Smaland food.
IKEA Museum
From the Älmhult train station, the museum can be reach from a footbridge and path leading you between an office building and loading dock. You emerge facing a large parking lot with the IKEA Hotell on the opposite side. Turn right and follow the sidewalk to the museum entrance, or better yet, circle the parking lot so you can take in the full size of the museum.
The interior has been stripped back, but there are midcentury elements you don’t see in other IKEA stores. Beyond reception that features a photo mosaic of Ingvar, you enter a series of exhibit galleries exploring the history of IKEA complete with recreated period showrooms, a wall featuring every IKEA catalogue, Ingvar’s office in Switzerland preserved as it was when he retired, and numerous examples of past IKEA products, including an upside down living room display suspended from the ceiling. One interactive display available on this visit was a re-creation of the current year’s catalogue cover, complete with an automatic camera and printer for staging your own shot. Additional galleries hold temporary exhibits exploring design and the environment.
No museum would be complete without a gift shop, and the IKEA Museum offers keepsakes and books on IKEA history, including design history, available in multiple languages (English wasn’t available at time of visit, and the Swedish version wasn’t sadly bought). Other cute items include souvenir Allen-key keychains & other branded items, postcards and miniatures of iconic products.
Check out the museum online (now with digital exhibits)
Where to stay
Yes, IKEA owns a hotel. It originally opened as a motel to support customers travelling across Sweden to shop at the store across the parking lot. The hotel’s basement used to house the original museum. (restaurant…)
IKEA Älmhult
Located like most IKEA stores on the edge of town, Älmhult IKEA feels unique for many reasons. Unlike most other locations that seem to require a popular at least over 500,000, this IKEA draws in customers from the nearby countryside (it’s not the only IKEA in Southern Sweden, Malmo, Helsingborg and Kalmar all have stores). Non-European’s can marvel at the wider selection of products available to Swedes. The Swedish Food Market, which you would expect would need to compete with traditional grocery stores, stocks an even wider-selection of products.