ICA is Sweden's largest food retailer, as well as a long-time client that usually commissions the design of buildings, parts of buildings, and surrounding outdoor spaces. One smaller task, however, involved producing a series of bollards to protect the ICA store fronts. Asked to deliver designs for small, medium and large bollards, preferably with built-in functions such as lighting, planters and seating, inspiration was taken from a vital line of ICA consumer goods – vegetables.

After various tests, the choice fell upon a ’carrot’ with a planter on top, a ’corn cob’ used as a sitting bench, and a ’mushroom’ with hidden LED lights, functioning as a stool. 3D scans of actual vegetables were used to produce the moulds, into which the white concrete bollards are cast. The result is a collection of playful and unique bollards that fulfil their protective function in the store entrance area, while being a welcoming and clearly identifiable element for visitors of all ages. 

Team:
Architect: Krupinski/Krupinska Arkitekter
Client: Ica Fastigheter
Photography: Victor Johansson