With over 434 stores across 52 countries by the end of 2020, IKEA disseminates an idealised narrative of the «Swedish Home» in the global marketplace, necessitating a critical reading of the ways this global narrative is appropriated in non-scandinavian regional contexts. This paper explores how IKEA global retail spaces act as a medium connecting national and regional scales through store design and spatial narratives. Using the case study of IKEA showrooms in Paris (Madeleine and Rivoli stores) and its metropolitan area (Evry), the author analyses the corporation's efforts to create a singular landscape that integrates attributes identified as distinctively Swedish and features associated with Parisian homes.
Building upon Lussault's formulation of hyperscalarity as a place's ability to operate simultaneously on local and global scales, the author argues that IKEA functions as a platform for visually embodying a commodified narrative of the Swedish Home while addressing the perceived challenges of small space living inherent to the urban layout of Paris. They provide an in-depth analysis of the visual and spatial components that compose a distinct in-store landscape, effectively creating a platform where two localities coexist and combine. They then examine the potential of interspatiality as a symbolic resource for the brand.
Mots clés : IKEA|landscape|cultural geography|semiotics
A104060CC