Ikea may be known for its furniture, but now it has its eyes set on bigger goals. Its new Space10 future-living space is aimed at making our lives better and more sustainable. It brings together designers, artists, technologists, makers and creatives to investigate major global challenges.
Ikea is, of course, no stranger to innovation. It has previously used augmented reality to show us what its furniture would look like in our homes and, more recently, began selling furniture with built-in Qi wireless charging functionality. Space10, however, takes a more active approach to driving innovation.
The space is supported and made possible by Inter Ikea Systems, which franchises out new Ikea stores around the world, but is run by innovation firm Rebel Agency. Located in the meatpacking district of Copenhagen, Denmark, Space10 serves as an external innovation hub for Ikea, with the aims of providing inspiration, delivering fresh perspectives and uncovering new talents and ideas.
Space10 carries out the investigation of future urban living through a series of "labs." Each lab explores a major challenge that impacts people on a global scale, and can consist of talks, workshops, pitch nights, design residencies, exhibitions, collaborative projects and other approaches. As a result of each lab, potential solutions to the problem in hand are prototyped and presented.
The first lab, the "Fresh Living Lab," looks at how we can live smarter and healthier lives. Space10 explains that a small group of emerging talents were invited to create prototypes of everyday objects that could empower us in making better choices for ourselves or the environment. Among the prototypes created were a table that charges phones by turning heat into electricity, a chair that rewards users for exercising, and an art piece that reveals itself when energy consumption is decreased.
Space10 opened on Nov. 18 and the Fresh Living Lab is currently being exhibited.
The video below looks at how Space10 was designed.
Source: Space10
