A former furniture Ikea furniture store in Coventry UK is to be used to house national collections of artworks as well as becoming an arts venue, Coventry City Council has said.
The Ikea store in Coventry shut in 2020 and its leasehold was bought by the city council, which has revealed plans to turn it into a cultural hub. Details of the plans have been revealed after a change of use for the building and external alterations were approved.
The Coventry City Council led project will be delivered in three phases, and existing partners include CV Life, Arts Council England, British Council, Arts Council Collection and Coventry University.
Phase One will see part of the building being repurposed to become a Collections Centre of national significance where CV Life, Arts Council England, Arts Council Collection and the British Council will house their collections.
Phase Two will see Coventry University transform floors five and six into a cultural hub, with a range of facilities on offer, including teaching areas, research space and attractions.
Phase Three will allow the Council to enclose and future-proof the internal car park floors. This will allow feasibility work to be undertaken to explore alternative uses for the new internal space created.
Work is due to begin later in the year and the site is due to open in 2025.
More information: https://www.coventry.gov.uk/news
