Ikea furniture has won hearts around the world. But parent company Inter Ikea Systems has bigger dreams. The firm has revealed plans to build an eco-friendly suburb adjacent to the Olympic Park in London.
Location: The environmentally friendly suburb that Ikea is planning will be a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park in London. It will occupy a whopping 26 acres in the Strand East area of East London. Demolition work has already started. But the construction work will begin only around 2013.
Initial Plans: Not everything is clear as of now. But some reports have revealed preliminary outlines of the upcoming suburban neighborhood. For starters, Inter Ikea Systems plans to build 1,200 homes in this prime piece of real estate. And since no suburb is complete these days without a luxury hotel, the developers are including one of those as well – a 350-room hotel for travelers on business and pleasure trips. Additionally, the region will offer 480,000 square feet of space for offices, shops and restaurants.
There are plans of transforming the area into a sort of mini-Venice. The design includes canals on two sides of the suburb. To build on the Venetian feel, Ikea will be introducing a water taxi service as well as a floating cocktail bar.
Green Features: The green characteristics of this so-called eco-friendly property are not yet clear. We do know that Ikea wants this to be a walkable suburb, with the school, nursery and hospital all within walking distance. A hydro-electric plant will be set up to supply the suburb’s power needs. Meanwhile, underground suction tunnels will eliminate trash.
Via: Inhabitat
