A building once known for selling Swedish flat-pack furniture and meatballs is on its way to becoming a sparkling brand-new arts venue. Coventry’s Ikea store shut in 2020 due to low customer numbers and high costs. But the council has now announced plans for it to reopen as a vast cultural hub.
Coventry City Council has bought the leasehold and plans to transform the space into the City Centre Cultural Gateway, which will see the old Ikea exterior given a new black and gold makeover.
Under the new plans, the fifth and sixth floors of the building will house a gallery, library and arts facilities owned by Coventry University. The rest of the space will be used as storage for collections owned by bodies including Arts Council England and the British Council.
The plans were put out to public consultation in February and funding was agreed by councillors in March. Work is due to begin later in the year and the site is due to open in 2025.