IKEA Urbanism is Here
Decatur Metro | December 20, 2011The Huffington Post reports that IKEA is planning to build “1,200 houses, as well as shops, cafés and a 350-room hotel covering 26 acres by the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London.”
Thrilled? Appalled? Here’s a bit more of the description to wet your insatiable IKEA/urbanism whistle…
The whole site will be surrounded by two waterways, so the idea is to create a “mini Venice”, the developers explained on Thursday. Residents can make the most of their waterside location by using the moorings, water taxi service, and even a floating cocktail bar.
Sounds downright lovely.
But of course, the prospect of IKEA – a company who worships at the alters of function with the inexpensive – comes a whole host of potential issues that clash with the zeitgeist that motivates most lovers of urban space. Diversity of product and quality being two of the most prominent. The Pop-Up City blog nicely summarized the internal struggle…