IKEA's Design Lab Space10 Bids Goodbye After a Decade of Operations

Space10, IKEA's design laboratory, announces its impending closure set for Aug. 31, 2023. This marks the conclusion of ten remarkable years, where the lab birthed and nurtured avant-garde projects across disciplines, exclusively for IKEA Group.

Located in the vibrant heart of Copenhagen's meatpacking district, the Space10 lab, architected to evoke the spirit of a storefront, was a melting pot of creativity. It served as a beacon attracting public insights on novel design concepts from industry innovators.

Under its roof, Space10 navigated a wide spectrum of futuristic topics, spanning from the homes of tomorrow to evolving urban terrains.

Projects like 'Tomorrow's Meatball' delved into the future of food and farming, while 'Urban Village' presented a groundbreaking housing ownership model. Another significant endeavour, 'Couch in an Envelope,' pondered how artificial intelligence could seamlessly intersect with product design.

Moreover, Space10 extended its voice into the literary realm, curating seminal publications like the ‘Future Food Today’ cookbook and ‘The Ideal City.’

"Innovation wasn't really on the agenda at IKEA when we first started. One of the primary purposes of Space10 was to spark that innovation culture, which has really happened. It is a very different company now than when we first started," co-founder Simon Casperson tells Dezeen.

Fellow co-founder Kaave Pour points to the ephemerality of Space10 as an actual place, stating "Space10 was never meant to last and, after a decade working with IKEA, we have achieved what we initially set out to accomplish."

While the lab's functional journey will end by Sept. 1, its legacy is primed to continue. Transferring their project archives to a fully accessible online platform, Space10 has decided to open-source its rich catalogue of presentation templates, guidelines, and team handbooks, ensuring they remain available for the public through its dedicated online platform. Click here to check out the Space10 resources archive.