The “Ikea One” is an abstraction of the real landscape vs the reflected landscape of Central Park across the mirrored façade. Residing amidst the famous Strawberry Fields, this monumental sculpture creates an illusion of the space around it.

Walking by this on a sunny day, one questions this “strange” presence in the park. It is not until you get closer to the intriguing reflection, that you realize what it is. The elongated aesthetic is an intentional design component prolonging the presence of the real object in its natural surroundings.

The design remains true to the principles of Ikea while enhancing the customers’ experience by introducing breakout spaces within the interior circulation making their visit to the store welcoming and pleasant. The light passes through the voids in the breakout-spaces onto the ground, making the structure appear like a floating mirror.

Reimagining the store design for a brand like Ikea required drastic, provocative and strategic interventions. Ikea One marks its dominant presence in the city in a way that the perspective of the importance of brand, logos and colors is questioned.

During the night the architecture reveals the inner labyrinth of a space. The mirage of the breaks becomes an image of the life beyond the reflected landscape. The night is the only time the true nature of this alien object in the park is exposed exhibiting the showrooms.

• Location: Central Park, Manhattan, New York
• Program: Retail
• Year: 2017
• Category: Speculative
• Team: Dana Muhsen, Shovan Shah