Ikea recreates Syrian apartment in flagship store

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Nov 14, 2016

Ikea recreates Syrian apartment in flagship store

Ikea has built a replica of a Syrian apartment inside its flagship Oslo store, in an attempt to give shoppers a sense of what it is like to live in the war-torn country.

Image: Dezeen.
Image: Dezeen.
Image: Dezeen.

Working with the Red Cross, Ikea has installed a replica of a Syrian apartment inside its flagship store.

The project, titled '25 Square Metres of Syria', is based on the apartment of a refugee mother of four, called Rana, who lives in a two-bedroom apartment in Damascus.

Built from rough concrete blocks, the apartment gives visitors a glimpse of what it might be like to live in a poor, war-torn country, and is in stark contrast to the rest of the homewares store.

Design agency Pol, said the apartment is intended to make visitors appreciate all that they have in Norway.

"At the one place where you think of and plan the future," Pol said to Dezeen of Ikea, "the apartment served as a physical reminder of how lucky we are."

The rooms contained old blankets, and instead of Ikea prices, the recognisable Ikea tags told stories of Syrian refugees and how to donate to the Red Cross.