This is IKEA and H&M’s new creative hub Atelier100 in London

IKEA and H&M have teamed up to revitalise the high street with a unique retail concept. Atelier100 aims to connect designers and local communities.

Hyperlocal retail vision

Atelier100, a unique collaboration between Swedish retail giants IKEA and H&M, opened its doors in London’s Livat Hammersmith shopping centre on 1 June. With this pilot project, both companies want to put a new, sustainable and local retail approach into practice. Creative producers who live under 100 kilometres from central London can showcase their innovative ideas here.

“Every part of the space has a story, from the locally-sourced products on the shelves to the recycled material used to make the space itself. It will be ever-evolving and I am excited to see how the creatives on the programme make Atelier100 their own come autumn,” says Ingka Group’s chief creative officer Marcus Engman.

More than a store

In April, H&M and Ingka Group launched a call for designers to apply for the project. The first twenty have now been selected. They receive guidance and financial support to help turn their ideas into commercially viable products, which will be sold in the store.

But Atelier100 wants to be more than a store: the multifunctional space will also offer space for workshops, lectures and events. The designers see Atelier100 as a temporary exhibition space that will continually evolve to reflect the personalities of local designers, their products and the local community. The aim is to revitalise shopping streets in this way. If the project succeeds, more locations may follow.