1850
Älmhult

Älmhult wasn’t much of a village in 1850, but consisted mostly of farms… but the SJ (Statens Järnväg - State Railway) had big plans.
So the head architect from SJ got the assignment to develop the village Älmhult - not only the station building, but also the whole town square, hotels, Lokstallet and also Godsmagasinet.

1863
Godsmagasinet

A logistical hub was created, long before IKEA even existed. Godsmagasinet had the possibility to take in lots of goods, both inbound and outbound. A chance to load trains and horse wagons, later on of course trucks too. Fun fact: from 1958 and onwards, Godsmagasinet was the first distribution and shipping center of IKEA for all catalogue ordered products, until it became too small.

1888
Lokstallet

Lokstallet, the wonderful roundhouse was completed in 1888 and offered not only refueling with coal and water, but also servicing of locomotives.

This magnificent building is nowadays protected, and we have access to a part to host events and concerts in an amazing industrial interior.

1943
IKEA was founded

In the early 40s IKEA was founded by Invar Kamprad in Agunnaryd, just 20km away from Älmhult. Ingvar decided to start a business here, because the train network allowed for people from Malmö, Gothenburg, and Stockholm to reach Älmhult easily.

1958
First IKEA store

IKEA grew quickly and the decision was taken to not only have a catalogue for customers to order from, but also to build a warehouse for people to test their sofa. This happened to be in the same neighborhood as Godsmagasinet. In fact, a lot of purchased IKEA goods went through Godsmagasinet to home owners all over Sweden. Today, the first IKEA warehouse has been transformed into the one and only IKEA Museum.

1970
Multiple use

When IKEA grew, it quickly outgrew the dimensions of Godsmagasinet. However, it was still an important transportation hub for a variety of users. This building has seen a lot!

1990
…it was forgotten!

In the 90s Godsmagasinet was completely abandoned: it was not insulated which made it very drafty, nor was it suited for heavier equipment such as pallet trucks and fork lifts. The building was vandalized and nearly caught fire. At one point, Älmhults Kommun even wanted to knock it down, but this was thankfully stopped. However, the building remained abandoned.

2023
New Beginnings

After 40 years of neglect and a severe dove invasion, Godsmagasinet was for sale. This was when we made the move to purchase this magnificent and mainly intact building. Two years of tedious renovation and bureaucratic challenges paved the way towards new life within these old walls.

2024
A new markethall

“So what are we planning to do?” you might wonder! We came together not only to save this building, but also to refresh Älmhults food scene with a market hall. A place where you can meet for good coffee, freshly baked bread and a healthy lunch. Craftsmanship is at the heart of everything we do, and if you have visited our small little sourdough bakery Loshult Handelsbod in the countryside you might know what we are talking about…

2024
First Pop Ups

While the bureaucracy is taking its time, we have organized a few pop ups with our bakery, local artists and musicians. The purpose is to provide a taste flavor of what is to come and perhaps awaken some curiosity!

2025
Let’s get started again

Now we have finally overcome the biggest challenges and entered the second stage of the rebuild. We are planning to build a large staircase entrance, and have already planted an alée of elm trees, a symbol of Älmhult. We hope that this can connect the past and the future, while also providing natural shade for future generations of visitors to enjoy.

And now:
Would you like to be a part in this?

Now it is your time now in share your thoughts: What are you missing in Älmhult? Let us know!

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