Firm： Chapman Taylor Architects

Type： Commercial › Retail Shopping Mall Showroom Supermarket Cultural › Gallery

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2018

SIZE： 25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

IKEA Bang Yai, to the north-west of Bangkok, has been certified LEED Platinum for sustainability – the first IKEA store in the world to receive this level of accreditation.

The development, designed by Chapman Taylor, is the biggest IKEA store in South-East Asia and the only one in the world that is fully integrated into a shopping centre. It received a tremendously warm welcome upon opening, with 159,000 visitors in just the first four days. The building is also the first IKEA store worldwide designed to achieve Green Mark Platinum certification and uses renewable energy from a rooftop fully covered in photovoltaic solar panels that also act as feature canopies for shade and shelter of car park spaces.

IKEA Bangyai is located in the new Central Westgate shopping complex, one of Thailand's largest, at Bang Yai, near Bangkok. The ambitious design integrates several new store concepts such as cafés, a library and break-out areas, all within the sales areas and showrooms. The 50,000m² store is fully integrated into the shopping centre, allowing customers to enter and leave the store from three different floor levels, as well as enter via a direct link from the MRT 'Purple' public transport railway line. It hosts 29 check-out points and be served by 1,900 parking spaces. Full-height glazing, large skylights and naturally lit atriums throughout the sales areas bring the space to life. The IKEA canteen offers a “branch-exclusive” menu for customers who enjoy the Swedish firm’s culinary side.