Former Coventry Ikea to house cultural hub and art storage

A erstwhile furnishings store is to beryllium utilized to location nationalist collections of artworks arsenic good arsenic becoming an arts venue, a assembly has said.

The Ikea store successful Coventry unopen successful 2020 and its leasehold was bought by the metropolis council, which has revealed plans to crook it into a taste hub.

Details of the plans person been revealed aft a alteration of usage for the gathering and outer alterations were approved.

Work is owed to statesman aboriginal successful the twelvemonth and the tract is owed to unfastened successful 2025.

The seven-floor operation was near bare aft the furnishings and homeware elephantine announced it was closing the store owed to debased lawsuit numbers and precocious costs.

Plans to crook the gathering into the City Centre Cultural Gateway were drawn up and enactment retired to nationalist consultation successful February.

Funding from what is known arsenic prudential borrowing was agreed by councillors successful March, but the magnitude needed was not made nationalist owed to commercialized confidentiality.

The assembly has said enactment connected the taste hub volition instrumentality spot successful 3 phrases.

Part of the gathering volition beryllium utilized arsenic retention for collections owned by groups specified arsenic Arts Council England and the British Council, portion the 5th and sixth floors volition beryllium turned into a gallery, room and different arts facilities by Coventry University.

Coventry radical CV Life volition usage the crushed level for storage, portion the interior car parking abstraction volition beryllium enclosed and "future-proofed" by the authority, truthful enactment tin commencement to analyse however the country tin beryllium used.

The plans volition besides spot the exterior fixed a caller achromatic and golden makeover.

Councillor David Welsh said the changes would "reinforce our city's presumption arsenic a vibrant taste destination".